Sweet Nothings
by Youkai no Yume
Summary: Jin had always been the perfect samurai. One that never failed to protect. He fought away her demons and kept them at bay and she'd always be safe. It was his duty and their silent promise. But this time, he knows that he can't save her. Fuu x Jin. DONE!
1. If Walls Could Speak

**A/N**

…Okay, I know this fic is something that I REALLY shouldn't do. Especially in the midst of a whole bunch of other incomplete fics that are screaming (quite literally from the readers) to be updated. But I can't help it!

This story came to me in the middle of the sweltering hot night and plagued my mind for long hours so that no sleep was gained. I just had to write it down. (sob)

A _Samurai Champloo _fic this time. This is a **Jin/Fuu pairing story **with a bit of Jin/Shino implications as well, and takes place after the series. It's a short, multi-chaptered fic. Don't like the pairing? Don't read it. Simple as that.

**WARNINGS**: I apologize beforehand if, for some reason, the characters are OOC. That and I will say that this will spoil some parts of the show. Also, I am fully aware that Jin does not have his glasses by the end of the series, but for the sake of this story, he got them back, okay?

**Disclaimer: **All rights to Samurai Champloo belongs to Geneon or Shinchiro Watanabe or Manglobe…or whoever it is that created this unholy anime that is currently my obsession.

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* * *

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_We part again at the break of dawn _

_My dreams becoming distant memories_

_I am lifted up by the warm wind I sense,_

_Every time you held me chasing after you in the bright light_

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* * *

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**Sweet Nothings **

**By Youkai Yume **

**Chapter 1: If Walls Could Speak**

Jin was never a man who contemplated loneliness. In fact, he was alone so often that it had become a way of life and was seldom a source of trouble for him. Yet, there are times when the memories of days long past would cross his mind—days in which he had not been quite so alone. But they were fleeting; only mere seconds in the days that he lived…if you could really call it living.

But he did think of them every now and then. It had been three years since they last parted ways. Three years since he had seen that cocky smile on that brazen so-called samurai and three years since he had last heard a certain loud girl complain about being hungry. Yes, it had been three years since Jin thought of gang fights, pirates or sunflower samurais.

And it had indeed been a very long time. It seemed almost an entire lifetime away in fact. But he could never bring himself to forget them, even if he did admit that he missed those heated spars that he had with Mugen when Fuu wasn't looking. Or the way Fuu would laugh when either of them did something stupid (or should he say when Mugen did something stupid). Sometimes, the memory of the sound of her laughter would tinkle in his mind, almost like a melody from a song long ago.

When he remembered these things, perhaps he did feel a tad lonely. If only for those few fleeting seconds in the days that he lived…if you could call it living. But again, he had grown used to it. That chapter of his life had ended a long time ago, and he would go on remembering them when he saw a sunflower or hear about a pirate raid from gossiping merchants.

Of course, those weren't the only things that Jin thought about. When it was raining, he thought of badly cooked eels and a woman on the bridge with a parasol held tightly in her delicate hands, looking intensely at the river below as she contemplated life and death. It came almost without fail, unbidden into his thoughts, the way she felt in his arms and his useless wish for the rain to never end. The last thing Jin remembered about Shino was her fading figure drifting into the morning mist towards a temple on the mountains, both vowing without words that they'd one day meet again.

That was also three years ago. It was time to withhold that vow.

He had been traveling for a couple of days now; his weary feet and growling stomach were constant companions; but Jin never seemed to mind. Like the loneliness, he was quite used to it. Besides, he had been through worse, though he had to admit, even after his fateful journey had ended it felt strange to be traveling without an obnoxious Mugen and a usually chittery Fuu. Something in his gut told him that all of it would be forgotten soon, but he wasn't sure if this instinct feeling had anything to do with Shino or not. He decided not to brood too much on it.

It had been a hot summer's day, the heat beckoning weary travelers to stop and rest with a drink to sate dry throats. Jin, unable to resist the urge, had headed willingly towards the nearest tavern in town in hopes of a few moments of shade and rest. He wove in and out of the unusually bustling street, the town still busy despite the hot weather.

He was so intent on reaching that tavern that he almost didn't hear the loud crash that echoed somewhere ahead. Almost didn't catch the string of curses from angry men that followed shortly after. The samurai lifted his dark gaze to the scene that unfolded before him, his eyes widening as they peered through glass lenses.

The crowd parted to make way for a group of men—part of some sort of gang, judging from their Gi shirts with identical symbols engraved on their backs. They were chasing a man with hair as messy as a bird's nest and eyes glittering as madly as a dog. A wild grin adorned his rough features and he was almost a red and brown blur when he drew out his sword.

The locals all scattered to safety, but Jin didn't move an inch. He had to stop himself from smiling as well.

"You little bastard!" One of the men snarled, "Who do you think you're dealing with, stealing from us! We'll chop you limb from limb!"

The man in red only smirked wider.

"You want it? Come and get it," the familiar voice mocked. Jin watched with amusement and pity as the men all foolishly accepted the pirate's dare. A sense of nostalgia began to wash over him as he watched the man in red fight, one by one taking the sluggish gang members down. He had that same cocky smirk on his face as he moved with uncanny speed in ways that made him think he might be part monkey…

When it was all over, he stood up straight to take a look at the handiwork that he had done. It wasn't long however, until his eyes caught sight of the familiar samurai clad in indigo blue that stood only a couple of feet away from where the small skirmish took place. His jaw nearly dropped to the floor, but he composed himself almost at once.

"Oi, is that really you, ya bastard?" He prodded, sword slung over his shoulder. Jin could only smirk in return before charging towards the pirate, sword already out of his sheath. He could hear him curse before going into a defensive stance, but just as quickly as it came, a look of surprise washed over his face when he realized that Jin was not aiming for him.

A strangled cry could be heard from behind him, and he turned to see Jin's sword pierced through one of the gang members that had somehow managed to sneak up behind him.

"Well what do you know, it IS you," he chuckled. "Jin."

"Mugen," the samurai acknowledged, cleaning his blade before returning it to its' sheath. Both were still grinning like it was their lucky day. "I see you still haven't changed. What did you do this time?"

Mugen laughed, his callused hands scratching through probably lice infected hair. "What? I was only doing them a favor. It seemed they were having trouble carrying all this loose change around them," he took out a bag full of money that clinked heavily with the promise of gold coins. "So I took it off of their hands for them."

He pocketed the money once more in his dirty red gi and gave him a lopsided smirk. "It's not my fault they're ungrateful assholes."

Jin restrained from chuckling at the pirate's logic but was silently grateful for it. It was…an unexpected reunion. One that both probably wouldn't admit to looking forward to. But the samurai shook his head and stepped closer towards Mugen, who smelled of sweat and dirt and other things that reeked unpleasantly.

And all he could do was ask him to join him for a drink.

"Alright," Mugen shrugged. "But you're paying for your own," he added, patting the jingling coins in his pocket.

* * *

How strange, Jin thought, that they weren't opting to openly kill each other right then and there without Fuu's reprimands. It seemed almost surreal to be sitting across from Mugen, doing things such as talking about memories from years past and having a civil (somewhat) conversation with him. 

Bottle after bottle of sake was served, though it was more for the pirate than it was for Jin, as their voices seemed to buzz in the relatively empty tavern. Jin sipped slowly from his own cup, enjoying the burning yet at the same time cooling sensation that slid down his throat. He could hear Mugen chuckle as he did so.

"Don't be so modest," he slurred, taking another swig straight from the bottle, "Indulge a little! It's not everyday we come across sake as good as this." And it was indeed good sake.

Jin watched in morbid fascination as Mugen ordered another round for himself. He had almost forgotten how much the man could, how he said in his own words, 'indulge' in luxuries such as alcohol. He shook his head, declining the waitress's offer when she asked him if he wanted anymore as well.

"As much as I enjoy this reunion," Jin replied in his usual monotone but nonetheless sarcastic tone, "I'm sorry to say I didn't come all the way out here just to meet up with you."

Mugen laughed at this, almost snorting on his drink. "Thank god! If you really missed me THAT much, I was going to start to worry," he replied, wiping a few drops from his stubbled chin. "So, Jiny-boy," Jin winced at the familiar nickname, "What REALLY brings you all the way out here?"

For a moment, the samurai hesitated telling Mugen, assessing the situation into his mind and determining if the pirate was going to poke and laugh at him for being such a romantic or if he was going to partake in other more humiliating antics. He didn't put it past Mugen. After a few seconds of silence, he decided to tell him anyway.

"I am going to keep a promise I made to someone."

"Who is this guy, and do I know 'im?" He asked as if trying to sound interested.

"Her," I corrected, and it immediately bought his attention. "And no, I hardly say that you know her." And he actually preferred it that way.

"A woman? What woman could you possibly…Oh," The brazen young man let out a low chuckle, his head turning the other way to look at a few customers walking in. "_That_ chick."

Jin mentally scowled at the word choice for Shino, but said nothing. He merely nodded. Closing his eyes, the samurai allowed his ears to follow Mugen's movements. Right about now, he could tell that the other man was leaning back.

"Yup, I'd say your three years are already up," the pirate mused. "Well, you must be happy, eh? You get to see your woman again."

Jin remained stoic and silent at Mugen's words. He wasn't sure how to answer exactly. Happy? Of course he was more than anxious to see Shino again after such a long time. But he wasn't sure if this brought him happiness…even though it should. But it seemed to him like it was the right thing to do. He had promised—even without words, to meet her again.

"For a second there, I thought you were talking about _her_," Mugen commented, his voice dropping a bit.

"Fuu," Her name had escaped Jin's lips before he realized it, and he found himself rather surprised at how quickly the image of the young girl had come into his thoughts. Across the table, Mugen nodded, taking a more leisurely sip from his sake bottle.

"Yeah. Remember? We made a promise to each other too. Well, she declared it anyway. But it was sort of a given, ya know?"

"…Yes," Jin's voice was a soft whisper, his mind playing back that one moment where the three of them stood at a crossroad. There had only been one question on their minds then, and that was 'What happens now?'

But he remembered…more clearly than anything else…the way she smiled that mischievous yet knowing smile, the pink blush on her cheeks spreading with her grin as her hazel eyes sparkled in the sunlight.

"_Let's meet again, someday."_

And everything would be all right, because she knew it to be true. They all did. He allowed a small smile to grace his usually grim lips, letting Fuu's voice fade into memory. "Yes, I remember."

A comfortable silence fell over the two young men. Something that was very rare indeed. For a while, both let their minds linger on the young girl that had once bound them—that still bound them together.

"It would have been nice to have a proper reunion," Jin added, taking a nother sip of sake. 'It would have been nice to see Fuu again.'

"I don't know about you, but I practically fulfilled that promise," Mugen said, his voice returning to its' loud obnoxious level. Jin couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at this.

"What do you mean?"

"Well," Mugen started matter-of-factly, "I've met up with both of you already, so I don't have any obligations to anybody anymore."

"You've seen Fuu?" the samurai asked with interest, an unknown feeling began to rise into his chest at this knowledge. The pirate shrugged nonchalantly, as if it was no big deal. "I see…" Jin didn't regard it as no big deal. For some reason, he felt something akin to jealousy in his throat. He envied Mugen for being able to see Fuu before he did. He had always thought that if anyone was to remember the vow they had all silently made, he would always be the first to answer to it.

But it was quickly replaced by curiosity.

"How…is Fuu?" The question came out soft, almost as if he was afraid to ask. Yet it held a hint of fondness that could only be held uniquely for Fuu.

"The same," Mugen answered, smirking. "She's not too far from here. In fact, if you keep going the way you are, you'd probably pass by her town. She's still loud, still annoying. She still eats like a pig—but not _too_ flat chested anymore," both of them laughed at this. "But still pretty flat." The pirate emphasized his point by taking his hand and moving it down in a perfect vertical line, indicating the straight plane of Fuu's…endowments.

Jin could only shake his head. "That's not very nice…"

"Yeah well, like I was saying," Mugen continued, ignoring the samurai's defense, "She's still the same as ever. Except…" the playful look left his eyes almost at once, only to be replaced by an expression Jin had not seen before on the man.

Had he known Mugen better, he would have thought the pirate looked almost…sad. Jin stared after the him for a couple of seconds, not aware that he was holding his breath.

"…except…?" He urged. Mugen seemingly shook out of his sudden trance, the cold, hard look returning to his rough features. Turning to his sake, he drank deeply for a while, until it was completely empty. He stared at it, unable to meet with Jin's eyes.

"You…should really go see her."

And that was all he was willing to say to the samurai about the girl. Jin knew that if he were to broach the subject anymore, he wouldn't get anywhere. As the afternoon sky quickly turned to dusk, Jin found that he could not get his mind off of Fuu.

Go see her…

'Perhaps I will,' Jin thought to himself.

* * *

Their parting had been very brief the very next day. Mugen set off in one direction, and Jin in another with a distant vow that the next time they met, they would finally have their duel. At the moment, Mugen was far too hung over to fight at his best and his breath was so pungent with the smell of alcohol, Jin was sure it could blind a man at forty paces. 

Still, it made the samurai feel heavier yet lighter at the same time seeing the pirate walk away again. He was perhaps the closest thing he had to a friend. He'd kill himself—and Mugen would probably help before committing suicide himself, before he would ever say that aloud.

His feet lead him, almost instinctively to where he knew was his destination. Though, his reasons seemed a bit blurred in the morning fog. Jin knew where he was going—to Shino. But there was a small whisper in the back of his mind that told him otherwise.

Jin almost felt guilty for thinking of Fuu when he was supposed to be on this journey for Shino. He also reasoned, however, that he had promised Fuu that he would one day meet her as well, if only for a short while. Then he would leave and fulfill duty to Shino. Besides, what was it that Mugen said? The girl lived in a small town that would be on the way to Shino's temple.

He would be killing two birds with one stone. Yes, it was better this way.

It wasn't too long, only a couple of days in fact, that he came across the next town. He had been walking nearly day and night after all, so he supposed that added to the quick arrival. Strangely enough, he didn't feel all too tired. But he was hungry. As he passed by the shops, looking for some sort of noodle stand or something, he idly wondered if this was Fuu's town.

But all thoughts were flown from his mind when he bumped into something—or rather, someone. The sound of something falling and crashing onto the ground could be heard, and Jin turned dark eyes to look at the contents that spilled on the floor.

"Oh no," a feminine voice muttered behind him, and he heard her shuffle and kneel behind him to gather her things. Immediately, the samurai kneeled down to pick up the fallen items as well.

"Please excuse me, I wasn't looking where I was going," he said politely. After picking up a bottle of what he presumed to be herbal medicine, he extended his arm to the person in which he so rudely bumped into. A couple of seconds passed in which he was still extending his arm out to them and they had not taken it. He began to feel uncomfortable.

"…Jin?" It didn't occur to him that he had not once brought his gaze up to look at whoever it was that he was speaking to. That voice seemed familiar…he lifted his eyes.

"Fu—oomph!"

"OMIGOSH IT'S REALLY YOU!" The girl had pounced on him so suddenly that the air left his lungs, and he sat frozen as she laughed and cried all at once into his hoari. He couldn't move for a good long while, the shock never quite leaving his body. Jin was a person…who normally didn't like to be touched. But at the moment, he didn't seem to mind at all. Eventually, his strong arms wound around the small girl still babbling into his chest.

It wasn't until later that he realized just exactly where they were: in the middle of the street, on the dusty ground, with bottles of herbs and food scattered around them, and a gaggle of people staring—Fuu really was loud.

Jin promptly cleared his throat, the sound causing Fuu to look up at him through big hazel eyes.

"We're starting to draw some attention," he said quietly, a small amused smile on his lips. She only giggled then, the sound of her light laughter resounding in his ears. He had almost forgotten how pleasant it sounded.

Blushing in embarrassment, Fuu scrambled off of Jin and hurriedly put all of her stuff into the basket she was carrying. Jin offered her a hand up in which she gratefully took and motioned for him to follow her. Both were eager to leave the scene.

The whole time, Fuu was grinning from ear-to-ear. Jin almost found it contagious.

"Wow! How lucky! First Mugen, now you!" She started, almost skipping with her basket. "It's been such a long time, three years right? Oh wow, and you look just exactly as I remember you, Jin!"

The samurai remained silent, just content with hearing her voice again. It was at this time that he actually began to take a good look at her. She was still the same, just like Mugen had said. However, she did seem a bit thinner, perhaps even paler—enough so that when she flushed a pretty pink, it was a stark contrast to her skin. Still, she had that same cheerful smile and twinkling hazel eyes. He was sure that her hair must have grown a bit longer by now, and her kimono was still the color of vibrant pink.

And her chest? Definitely not as flat as Mugen claimed. He smiled.

"And so are you, Fuu."

She broke out into an even wider smile, one that spoke of honesty and warmth and loss of loneliness all at once. Her small hands suddenly twined with his large one, tugging and pulling impatiently for him to follow. He let her lead him, let her take him away from the bustling little town and towards a hill in which a house was perched atop.

For a moment, Jin's face faulted. For some reason, he had imagined her house to be surrounded in sunflowers. But all trivial thoughts were lost to the wind as her laughter permeated the air with a chime-like song, the feel of her hand tightening around his own as she began to run towards her home. He had no choice but to run with her, hearing only her giggles of "Almost there!"

And he couldn't help but think it endearing.

"Here we are!" Fuu announced, opening the screen door and ushering the silent samurai inside. "It's not much, but I've grown to like it." Careful to take off their shoes before coming inside, Fuu motioned for Jin to go ahead and make himself at home. "Let me put away these," she held out her basket, "I was just coming back from the market you know. Be out with you in a sec!"

He, however, was more interested in peering around her house.

"Would you like some tea? Don't worry, it's good. I used to work in a teahouse before I met you, remember?" She added when Jin looked at her curiously.

"Arigato," he nodded, settling down on a tatami mat at the table.

"How have you been, Jin?" She asked from the kitchen, and he could hear her moving around to get cups and water.

"Fine," came the short reply.

"Fine and…?"

"…"

The girl emerged into the main room, sighing a bit when she knew that he wasn't going to say much more than that. "Same ol' Jin," she giggled, bringing over a tray with tea and rice cakes. Jin gladly helped himself to one, noting that Fuu did a rather good job on them. Or maybe it was just because he felt famished at the moment.

"This is…a rather big house for just one person," Jin commented. "I noticed that there must be multiple rooms. Do you…?"

"Ah, no I live alone," she waved the notion aside. "If you want to get technical, this really isn't my house. You see it belonged to an old couple that used to live here. They hired me as their housemaid," Fuu explained.

"Used to?"

A sad smile came across Fuu's lips as she sought another rice cake. "Manabe-san got sick and just couldn't get better. He died about a year ago. After that, his wife never stopped mourning. I tried everything I could to cheer her up, but it didn't do any good. She died three months after. They were sort like grandparents to me…"

"I'm sorry," Jin said comfortingly, knowing how incredibly useless it sounded. But she only shook her head.

"It's alright. What's that saying they used to have? When a lovebird loses its' lover, it will wither away and lose its' ability to fly, and longs to die soon so that it will be reunited with its' mate. I'd like to think that they ended up together in the end," She finished with a note of wistfulness in her voice.

Jin sipped his tea slowly, never taking his eyes off of her. It was just like Fuu to be the romantic.

"In any case, the Manabe's didn't have any children, even though they had always hoped. That's why it's so big. So they left the entire house to me. I guess it all worked out in the end."

There was something in the way she avoided his eyes when she said that. Something that told Jin that it wasn't as simple as Fuu made it out to be. But there wasn't anything he could do about it, except apologize. And he had already done that.

"So it has."

"Ah! Jin, you have a bit of rice stuck to your face," Fuu pointed.

"Mm?" His hand went up to his left cheek. Nothing but unblemished skin.

"No! Not there, the other side!" the girl chuckled, soon to be laughing when the samurai did the same to the other cheek yet still missing completely. He was getting irritated, and wondered if she made up this grain of rice just to aggravate him. "Lower, lower…Oh! Just let me!"

Fuu took out a piece of cloth and moved to his side of the table, successfully wiping a piece of rice that had indeed been stuck near the edge of his mouth. Her giggling could be heard throughout the entire thing, and she proudly showed the kernel to him when she was done. "See? Now you're rice-free."

Jin's expression remained stiff. Although he felt a bit embarrassed that he had to have Fuu clean rice off of his face, he didn't think the idea of being doted on by her unpleasant. She laughed. He felt like laughing too, though mind you, he didn't. But it was very hard resisting.

And it was just like the reunion with Mugen, only instead of sake, there was tea. And instead of accounts of battles and bloodshed, they recalled all the moments when Mugen did something less than rational. Well, Fuu did most of the talking. Jin just nodded once in a while with his trademark "Hm" or "Ah." He also took note that whenever she spoke, she'd scrunch up her nose when she was agitated with a memory, or she'd get a happy gleam when she talked about food.

But he didn't care. He felt oddly content, just sitting here, hearing Fuu ramble about days long past as she shoved rice cake after rice cake into her watering mouth. Mugen had also been right about her eating like a pig. But then again, that was what made her Fuu. Jin smirked, knowing later, she'd probably become rather plump before snapping right back to her usual dainty size. Hmmm, no one quite like Fuu.

By now, the girl had rice all over her cheeks and lips. She didn't seem to notice however, and Jin found himself oddly amused, staring at the bits and pieces staining her pink-flushed cheeks and lips. For a wild, fleeting second, he contemplated cleaning her face just as she had done for him.

That notion was quickly shaken out of his head. Jin opted for telling her instead.

"Rice."

"Rsh?" She asked through a mouthful.

"All over your face. It's…a lot worse than me," he added with amusement in his voice. She swallowed, an audible gulp resounding in the room. Laughing nervously, she took out her piece of cloth and cleaned her face, successfully getting all of the rice kernels from her cheeks and lips.

Jin was relieved yet strangely disappointed at the same time that she had saved him the task of removing them for her.

It was getting dark outside. Both of them had been totally unaware of the setting sun until the sound of crickets could be heard. Fuu let out an audible gasp when she noticed the darkened state of her room and quickly moved to light candles.

"Ah, that's better," she sighed. "Time sure flies. I guess I rambled a bit much, huh?"

"It's quite alright," he replied, smiling. "I quite enjoyed it."

Fuu looked surprised at this, then whispered, "Me too." Then she frowned. "But I can't help but feel that you didn't come just to see me."

"…"

"Being the wandering samurai again, Jin?" a soft laugh escaped her lips, offering him more tea. He declined. He knew that she was waiting for him to tell her where it was exactly that he planned on going. Yet strangely, he felt as if telling her the truth…made him feel guilty. Though he didn't know the slightest why he felt ashamed of returning to Shino again. It was his obligation.

But somehow, he didn't want to tell Fuu.

"It's Shino, isn't it?"

Jin looked up immediately, his dark eyes catching with her own hazel ones, which seemed to glow in the candlelight. They were empty, sad, yet strangely calm and serene. Heh. It seemed he didn't have to tell her after all. She knew. They had all known.

"…Yes," the answer came in a soft whisper, almost blending in with the summer night. He bit back the strange urge to apologize.

"That's wonderful, Jin," Fuu smiled, which surprised him because he thought that was the last thing she'd say. "You'll finally get to be with her and live happily ever after."

"You're…okay with it?" he asked, disbelieving. Wasn't it she who objected the most to him being with Shino before?

"Why wouldn't I be? I mean, when you left her behind at that temple, you were moping around for the longest time. Mugen and I were just sick of it," the girl joked, although it seemed forced and he could hear a bit of bitterness in her voice. "I'm happy for you, really."

Jin scanned her face in the faint light of the moon and flickering candles, seeing only sincerity. Fuu really did…wish for his happiness. And for that he was grateful. But still…he couldn't shake off this feeling of guilt.

"I met up with Mugen on my way here," the samurai started, hoping to change the subject. Fuu's eyes seemed to glitter at this.

"Ne! Really? Haha, the last time I saw him, he was a mess! Not to mention still so rude! Did you know, once he went into my house he went straight to the cupboards to rummage for sake? Then he had the nerve to tell me to go buy him some when he found out I didn't have any." She huffed, crossing her arms. "I swear, he's nothing but a Neanderthal."

Jin allowed a chuckle to rumble in his throat. That was so like Mugen.

"Yes, well, he had a couple of things to say about you too."

"Oh? What kind of things?" Hazel eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"Not all of them were bad. But he did speak about you, about the last time you two met." He couldn't believe that he was disclosing all of this information to Fuu. He had never talked so much before in his life. She must have noticed to, but she seemed happy more than anything over this change. Still…

He noticed that Fuu's expression seemed to grow somber at his words, just like Mugen's had when he was in that tavern with him. A distant look crossed her face, and her eyes seemed to have lost that twinkle that he was so accustomed to seeing her with.

"So…he talked about me, huh?" She seemed to grow even more depressed when the samurai nodded yes. Her voice grew hesitant. "What…did he say?"

"That I should see you," Jin answered, a bit of concern in his tone. A bitter smile graced Fuu's lips.

"You know then…"

He wasn't sure what she meant but this cryptic answer, but decided instead to ask the question that he had asked Mugen before. "How are you, Fuu?"

"Better," she said almost immediately. "A lot better in fact. You could say I'm almost fine!" Her voice held that of false cheerfulness that was more apparent now than ever. This…disconcerted him. Almost fine? What is that supposed to…?

Before he could say another word, Fuu had stood up and began cleaning the table. "It really is getting late. I'm sorry I kept you so long. Well, since its night already, how about you stay the night?"

"I wouldn't want to impose."

"Impose?" Fuu scoffed. "I have about three other empty rooms, what else am I going to use them for? Besides, it's no trouble at all. It's not everyday a close friend of mine comes to visit." She kneeled beside the samurai, pleading with big puppy dog eyes that he knew she used all the time to get what she wanted… "I'm so glad that you're here…Please stay here just for tonight? I'll even make you breakfast and everything tomorrow!"

Dammit. She was too cute. Curse those big hazel eyes and pouty pink lips. Jin let out a sigh and nodded in defeat. Fuu squealed in delight before rushing off to get a room for him ready. This left the samurai all alone in the dark silence.

Jin leaned back, sighing slightly. Well, he supposed staying one night over wouldn't hurt. Besides, it'd be nice to sleep in a decent futon for once. He allowed himself a peering look at the pale moon outside, feeling a cool breeze touch his skin and effectively blowing out the candles.

It was in this moment that Jin noticed how truly vast and cold the house seemed, from the barren walls to the empty hallways. It could even be described as lonely.

* * *

**+ End Chapter +**

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**A/N**

Admittedly not too much went on in the first chapter. I just wanted to get all of the characters in their setting, give some insight on character and thoughts, you know. I actually wrote this a long time ago and originally it was supposed to be a one-shot. But the more I wrote, the more ideas I kept adding, and the longer it got. When it was approaching over thirty pages, I decided to split it up.

Give all y'all a nice break for the eyes. (sweat) Also, the beginning quote of this chapter was from _"Shiki no Uta" (Song of the Seasons) _the ending theme song from the Samurai Champloo series.

Revelations and secrets run rampant in the next chapter so stick around! (I plan on updating this fic once every two or three days). Again, I apologize if things are out of context or if the characters seem OOC.)

**PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!** And I'd like to ask **No flames please!** Especially from those who are just going to insult me because you're close-minded over this pairing. Criticism is welcome, and all reviews are appreciated. Tell me what you think!

**Thank You and Ja Ne!**


	2. Counting Cranes

A/N

Thanks for everyone who reviewed the last chapter. I got a couple of guesses on what's up with Fuu in the last chapter. Some guessed heartache, and one of you actually got it right on the mark! Bravo! The rest just wait for me to update, haha.

Oh, just a side note: This chapter will probably have about six to ten chapters total, depends I'm still writing it as we speak. Each chapter is ten pages, more or less so I suppose in a way it's long. This is good news to some, bad news to others…Whatever, just enjoy dammit.

**Disclaimer: **Samurai Champloo is like a dog in the window. I watch it from behind the glass and am completely in love with it…but I can't have it…

* * *

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Sweet Nothings

By Youkai Yume

Chapter 2: Counting Cranes

The sound of wind chimes floated into the depths of his consciousness, as if beckoning him to surrender to the morning light. Jin opened his eyes slowly; wincing at the flood of sunlight that filtered into his room through the windows. He mentally groaned when he realized that he slept longer than usual. The samurai was so used to getting up even before the sun did.

Dark eyes looked around the unfamiliar room. Ah, that's right, he had slept over at Fuu's last night. The fresh smell of miso and cooked fish pervaded his senses, and Jin found himself quickly making his bed and washing up so that he could venture into the kitchen where the delicious aroma was calling to him.

Fuu was already busily setting up the table, humming a cheery tune as she did so. Jin let himself linger at the doorway for an instant, just watching the girl prepare breakfast and listening to the gentle song that emanated from her voice. As if sensing the samurai's presence, Fuu looked up at a rather dazed Jin.

"Ohayo!" She smiled brightly; "Did you sleep well? I'm going to assume you did, because this is the first time I've seen you wake up so late!"

"Ohayo, Fuu. And yes, I did sleep well. Arigato," he nodded politely. His eyes visibly went to the food that was neatly laid out for the both of them, and he could feel his mouth water at the simple aroma of it all. Fuu noticed instantly and promptly stood up, dragging the man over.

"See? I promised you that I'd make you breakfast and I did."

"I don't think I've ever tasted your cooking before, Fuu," Jin admitted before settling down.

"What? The rice cakes—"

"I hardly call that a meal," he commented, picking up a pair of chopsticks. Fuu mumbled something about ungrateful men before picking up her own chopsticks.

"Itadakimasu," both of them thanked before digging in. They both ate in comfortable silence. It had been a long time since he had had a proper meal with any of his longtime friends, and he didn't mind getting used to it. Fuu's home cooking was indeed…delightful to the senses. Why didn't she ever tell them she was such a good chef? She could have made them meals instead so they didn't have to spend money at restaurants.

But then again…since they were always broke, it's not like they could have afforded ingredients or cooking utensils in the first place.

As he gladly took in second helpings, he noticed that Fuu did not eat as much as he knew she was capable of eating. It was a scary thought. She seemed to notice his eyes on him though, and smiled meekly.

"Sorry, I don't think I'll be eating much this morning."

Whoa. That was REALLY scary.

"It's just that, well I really must be getting to work."

Ah. So that was it. Jin put down his bowl and chopsticks. "You work?"

"Of course! I don't live off of dirt, you know."

"Hn," Jin chuckled, glancing at the bountiful breakfast.

"Well, I hate to leave you so early. Especially since we probably won't get to see each other much after this," Fuu admitted ruefully.

"After this…?"

"You're leaving today, aren't you? Wouldn't want to keep Shino waiting."

Jin noted that when she said this, she refused to meet his eyes and her small fists balled at her sides. He couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed at this. He wondered if it was a sign that Fuu wanted him to leave or if she wanted him to stay a bit longer. True, he needed to return to Shino, but something compelled him—he didn't know what, but it told he was needed HERE.

Perhaps it was the way Fuu looked so pale and thin in the morning light, or the way her hazel eyes reflected a sadness that didn't belong.

"I…didn't say that I had to leave today," the samurai started slowly. Hazel eyes met with his dark ones immediately, a familiar twinkle in their depths.

"Really?"

A lurch could be felt somewhere in his stomach as he realized that she had wanted him to stay.

This fact…made him oddly happy. He wasn't sure why. Perhaps it was what she said earlier. That it wasn't everyday that he got to spend time with Fuu, a girl that had been his traveling companion for about a year (perhaps even more) and one of the closest friends that he ever had. They had been through so much together, and he and Mugen had risked their lives countless times to save her. In return this small slip of a girl, saved them by keeping them together. Holding their hands—metaphorically of course.

Just a day more, Jin thought. For Fuu. Shino will understand.

"Let's get this cleaned up, and I'll walk you," Jin offered. "Besides, I want to see where you work," he added with a smile reserved only for Fuu. But it was quickly gone, only to be replaced by a frown. "It's not a brothel, is it?"

And all she could do was laugh, the sound of her voice melding with that of the wind chimes in the morning summer sky.

* * *

The restaurant was a busy place, customers came in and out in a seemingly endless fashion and the chef in the kitchen worked nonstop, filling order after order. The waitresses were on their feet the entire time too—Fuu among one of them.

She had told him that she couldn't turn down a job that let her sneak a dumpling once in a while. At first, Jin had watched as the girl set to work, running in and out while balancing plates on her slender arms. Once in a while, she complained about her aching feet, but in a playful manner rather than intentionally whiny.

"Would you like me to help?" Jin offered, feeling restless and rather useless as well just sitting there.

"Oh no," Fuu waved her hands. "What kind of person would I be if I asked you to help me do my job? Besides, I want to earn my keep. Is there anything I can get for you, though? On the house!" she asked with a smile. Jin shook his head, a bit deflated that she refused his help. She had always wanted his help before… Fuu quickly went back to work, carrying more trays to a nearby table.

Jin was about to contemplate ordering something after all when he heard a loud crash on the other side of the room.

"Ah! Look at the mess you've made, you clumsy wench! What am I supposed to eat now?" A man from one of the tables scowled at the girl who was clutching her chest on the ground, the food and tray spilled all around her. Jin immediately went over to her when he realized it was none other than Fuu. Her face scrunched up together and her teeth were clenched as if she was in pain. The words of the angry customer drowned in her ears.

"Fuu," Jin kneeled down beside her. "Are you alright? What happened?"

She gave him a withering smile; her face flushed a bit. "Sorry, I felt kind of faint just now. But I'm okay."

"What seems to be the prob— Oh dear," the old shopkeeper emerged from the kitchen, an apologetic look on his face as he scuttled over to where the fuming customer was. "I'm terribly sorry about this sir. We'll get you another order—free of charge, alright?"

This seemed to please the man, and he grunted in response before settling down. The old shopkeeper turned to Fuu. "Are you alright, Fuu-san?"

"H-Hai," she nodded, embarrassed. "I'm sorry…I'll get this cleaned up right away, please don't fire me!"

"Fire you?" a laugh resounded in the restaurant. "Heaven's no. Just take care of this mess and take a short break. You've been working too hard."

"…Yes sir," Fuu said dejectedly before setting to do her task. Jin saw that her cheeks burned with embarrassment, as if ashamed to let him see her make such a blunder.

"I really am worried," the samurai turned over to the old man, whose brow was creased together in a knot. "That's the third time this month."

"Third?" Jin asked softly.

"Yes, well Fuu is my hardest working waitress," the shopkeeper commented. "She tends to work herself so hard that things like this happen. Often, it would be once a month. But lately these collapses of hers have been occurring frequently."

Jin's lips thinned at this, concern beginning to creep into his stomach. Frequently? How frequently?

"I tell her that she should take it easy, let some of the others fill in for her. But she insists on earning her pay fairly, and every time I ask her, she just tells me she needs the money. I hear she lives alone, so that must have something to do with it."

"I'd like to help," the samurai said quickly.

"Eh? You looking for a job? Sorry, but we're currently not hiring."

"You don't have to pay me," Jin said quietly, then glanced over to where Fuu disappeared behind the flap door. "You see, I'm a friend of Fuu's, and I…"

"Ah, I see," the old man nodded, understanding. "Very well. I get the impression that you're going to help out around here whether or not I say no. Suit yourself. Go to the back and bring out some of the orders. The chef will tell you which ones go where."

"Thank you," he bowed politely and swiftly moved to begin his work. No doubt later Fuu would be slightly angry that he insisted on doing such a thing. But that didn't matter to him. Jin felt uneasy knowing that Fuu was working so hard that it made her sick, and not doing anything about it.

She'd probably pout at him first before calling him stubborn. And then…well, knowing Fuu she'd probably smile.

* * *

It was dark by the time they returned. Both were slightly sweaty and tired from the day's work, and neither said anything much. Once in a while, Fuu would look over at Jin and comment on how he really shouldn't have butted into her business like that before thanking him all in one breath. The samurai could only walk after her in silence, noticing only the dust that settled over their feet as they continued down the dirt path back to the girl's little abode.

Hopefully, there would be a hot bath and meal once they got inside.

Jin wondered slightly if she was all right or not. He couldn't help but be concerned for his friend after what the old shopkeeper said about Fuu's frequent collapses. But from the way she began to skip and hum once in a while, he concluded that her fatigue was beginning to wear off.

He blinked once when he realized Fuu did not go straight to the house but instead strayed to the side towards a field of grass right next to it. Sensing his curiosity, the girl turned around to face him with a bright smile on her face.

"Over here. I'm going to be out here for just a little bit," Fuu said softly, pointing at the field. "If you're tired, you can go ahead and get some rest."

The samurai raised an eyebrow. Rest? For him? This was coming from the girl who nearly fainted in the middle of the restaurant floor today because she was a workaholic. He certainly wasn't going to take a rest if Fuu of all people didn't need one yet.

He merely shook his head and followed after her as she went to a comfortable spot before lying down on her back facing the starlit sky. Jin didn't miss the hint of mischief on her lips. He mentally scowled. The coy little thing lured him out here with her. As he sat down beside her prone form still staring with childlike wonder up at the stars, he supposed he didn't mind terribly too much.

The night air was cool and pleasant against them anyway.

It wasn't until a few moments passed that the samurai began to wonder…what it was exactly that they were doing out here.

"…Fuu?"

"That one," she started suddenly, her voice eager. "That one right there, can you see it?" Jin stared after her in confusion as she pointed at a spot into the sky. "It's the brightest star, you HAVE to see it!"

With a bit of reluctance, the samurai slowly peered up at the very object the girl seemed so excited about. And indeed he did see it. It was sparkling like a single diamond in the vast sea of stars in the darkened sky. None other could compare to its' radiance.

"Let's wish on it!" Fuu exclaimed.

"…Why?"

"Because it's a wishing star, duh," she said as if it was the most obvious answer in the world. Jin gave her a scrutinizing look at this.

"How do you know that?"

A long pause followed. Fuu's lips pursed and her brows creased in thought. "I don't," her soft voice replied. "I'm only guessing that it's a wishing star. And if it isn't…well, I can always guess on another one next time. I've been wishing on a different star every night for a while now. I'll have to guess right eventually."

Jin listened intently before leaning back on his hands to look at the star in question. "That's pointless. Stars can't grant wishes," he answered, his voice emotionless. The entire notion to him was quite childish really, and he couldn't see the benefit in believing in such things. Beside him, Fuu sighed.

"I know, but it's nice to dream once in a while," she whispered, a weak, bitter smile gracing her features. "It's all I have left."

That last part was so quiet that it was nearly inaudible. Jin wasn't sure what he had just heard. "What?"

"Nothing," waved the entire thing aside and sat up. "It's time to make our wish!" She said enthusiastically. Closing her eyes, she contemplated what she wanted to ask the wishing star for, before breathing in so deeply that her chest puffed out. Then, at the top of her lungs, she shouted: "I WISH FOR ALL THE MOCHI I CAN EAT!"

The night was silent all around them for a second. Then…Jin couldn't help but chuckle at the ridiculousness of it all. "_That's _your wish?" he asked indignantly. She smirked back at him.

"Yup!"

How…How very _Fuu_. Somehow it didn't surprise him in the least that she would wish for more food. "Does it even work if you say it aloud?" Much less shouted, he added in his thoughts. Fuu shrugged slightly.

"How will they know what you want if you don't tell them? I think it's good to dream loud." She edged a little closer to him, just enough to make him feel uncomfortable. "Now it's your turn! What do _you_ wish for, Jin?"

The samurai turned away from her hazel gaze to focus on the flickering star above. "I have nothing to wish for," he admitted truthfully. Not only did he not believe in silly superstitions like a wishing star, but he also had nothing he truly desired.

"That can't be true," Fuu countered. "There must be something that even you want."

"Why are you so persistent on this matter?" he began, peering at her through glass lenses.

"Well, I've always wondered what the mysterious Jin wanted more than anything in the world," she joked lightly, yet he could tell she genuinely wanted to know.

What he wanted? Besides sleep? Nothing that he could accomplish on his own, Jin thought. Or…maybe it was because he didn't know what he wanted that he couldn't make his wish. His lips thinned. This was beginning to trouble him more than he liked, and it really was over something silly. The samurai shook his head.

"No, there is nothing."

A loud exasperated sigh resounded in the night air. "You're no fun."

And that was that. He got up first and helped her to her feet before both proceeded into the house. Fuu content with dreaming her dreams and Jin content with just letting her dream them.

* * *

He lay awake in the morning light, dark eyes scanning the ceiling with intense focus. Outside, he could hear the birds chirping and fluttering by. Running his fingers through long black silken hair, Jin decided it was time to get out of bed. He took his glasses and secured them in place before reaching for his indigo blue hoari.

As he dressed in silence, the samurai could only think of one thought, and that was saying goodbye to Fuu. It was time that he resumed his journey to retrieve Shino, and he had long overstayed his welcome. If he remained with Fuu for another day, well, he might find himself getting attached. To the place, he meant.

After tying his hair in the usual ponytail and stepping out of his room, Jin pondered whether or not just to leave her a note before departing, or properly say his good-byes to her. He decided that as a close friend to the girl, he'd go with the latter.

It was very early in the morning, and he figured that Fuu was still asleep and didn't fancy the idea of waking her. Still, he really wanted to tell her in person that he was leaving and sought out her room. Strange, in the time that he had been here he hadn't bothered to remember where it was that Fuu said was her room. He began opening the doors one by one, knocking just in case one of them happened to be hers.

Some of them were empty, while one still had old furniture and a large futon—one that he assumed belonged to the old couple that used to live there. Then, he happened upon one shoji door. It wasn't special or strikingly unique in the least and yet something inside drew the samurai to it.

Jin knocked once, calling Fuu's name. When there was no answer, he opened it slowly. What he found was something he had never quite seen before.

Cranes. Paper cranes. Hundreds of them, hanging from the ceilings and littered on the floor amongst colored paper and scraps. Some hung by the door leading to the porch, swaying in the wind as if they were really birds fluttering in the air. They all varied in size and color of every sort, and Jin had to enter carefully for fear of stepping on any paper or cranes on the ground.

The samurai let his eyes wander the room for a few lingering moments, amazed at how many there were and vaguely wondering just exactly how much had been made.

"Four hundred and twenty-seven," a soft feminine voice said behind him. Jin turned around to face Fuu, who was standing in the doorway. Her dark brown hair was down and she wore a small smile on her innocent features. "There are exactly four hundred and twenty-seven paper cranes here."

He nodded at her in greeting, still amazed at the origami in the room. "Did you make all of them?" he asked in awe as he picked up a crane from the floor.

"Most of them," she answered, stepping inside to stand beside him. "The first twenty or so was given to me by the village children."

"Children?"

"Yeah. It's a small town, and I like to play with the kids sometimes when they come up to explore the fields by my house," Fuu explained. "They made me the first couple of dozen paper cranes." She smiled almost wistfully; "They told me that if I made a thousand of them, I'd have good luck and health for the rest of my life."

Ah, yet another one of Fuu's wishing habits. It was endearing, really it was. Yet, there was something sad about the way she stared at the paper crane that Jin held in his hands. Something tangibly regretful when she took it from him to play within her dainty fingers.

"But I stopped making them a long time ago," Fuu whispered before dropping it onto the floor, forgotten. He was quite astonished. Fuu? Give up? The girl was well known for being relentless when she set her mind to something. He wondered what made her give up—even if it was something as trivial as a thousand paper cranes.

"Why?" Jin asked gently. Fuu shifted uneasily, not taking her eyes off of her feet.

"The paper cuts were murder," Fuu joked weakly. It was a lie. Jin knew it was a lie. But she clearly didn't want to talk about it, so he respected her decision. She just wanted to stop at four hundred and twenty-seven and that was that.

Her hazel eyes began to study him in the morning light, and her expression grew sad. "You're leaving today, huh?"

"…Yes," Jin replied, not meeting her gaze.

"I understand. It was sure nice while it lasted though!" Fuu said cheerfully. Jin wanted to smile at her. He didn't know why he did not. "Let me make something for you for your journey and then we'll say goodbye, ne?"

She began to head to the door, her eyes hidden from view. Jin could feel something catch in his throat. 'I hate saying good-byes too, Fuu,' he wanted to say to her, but all he could do was watch her back.

All of a sudden, The girl stopped midway through the threshold when she clutched her chest and gasped sharply. Jin's senses came to full alert when Fuu doubled back, and her breathing became labored. Her form was hunched, still clutching her white yukata-clad chest, as if trying to wrench something out of her very heart. Without warning, she collapsed onto the ground, sending a flurry of colored paper into the air.

"Fuu!" Jin rushed to her in an instant, cradling her body against him. A rush of panic pulsed throughout his entire being like never before. She was sweating, her face flushed with heat and teeth clenched as if she were in great pain. She groaned loudly as her breathing now became erratic and if she didn't loosen her grip on her chest soon, the samurai was certain she really would rip out her own heart.

"Fuu! Fuu! What's wrong? Are you hurt? What happened?" He shook her slightly, his usually calm and cool exterior melting as his eyes flickered with concern.

"I'll be fine," she managed to say through gritted teeth. "Really, it's just—Ah!" She moaned painfully, her other hand grasping his blue hoari.

"Fuu! The doctor--"

"Don't worry, it'll pass…"

"We need to get you to the doctor—"

"It's not going to help, Jin," Fuu panted, holding on tighter to his hoari.

"What are you saying? We need to find out what's wrong with you!" The samurai said quickly, ready to pick her up and run to the nearest apothecary if he had to. Fuu seemed to freeze in his arms, momentarily forgetting her pain as a realization dawned upon her. She stared wide-eyed up at Jin, hazel depths conveying shock and sorrow.

"…You _don't_ know, do you?" She asked him, trying hard not to wince at the gradually passing pain that shot through her body.

"Know? Know what?" Jin was confused now. Why was she being so calm about this?

"Oh Jin…" She shook her head, looking as if she were about to cry. "I'm so sorry, I thought Mugen told you already…"

Mugen? What was he supposed to have told him? Why was Fuu like this? The samurai seemed to lose the ability to form words as the girl in his arms slowly released his hoari and brought her small hand to touch his cheek gently. The pain seemed to have left her body, but not her eyes. As she brought him closer to her, a bitterly sad smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. The words fell from her lips in a mournful whisper:

"…I'm dying, Jin."

* * *

The entire house was completely still and silent that afternoon. In the hallway, a lone samurai sat on the hardwood floor just outside a shoji screen, where a girl now slept peacefully on the other side.

Jin stared blankly at the opposite side of the wall, his familiar stoic mask on. In his mind however, thoughts and voices whispered hauntingly in his mind. Hundreds, clawing at him all at once.

It was all beginning to make sense now. How could he not have noticed it before? Her collapses at work, the roomful of paper cranes and her noticeable pale skin. Even when he had first bumped into her at the marketplace he should have known. Jin's thoughts plowed through his memories as he remembered picking up a bottle of herbal medicine that had been knocked out of her shopping basket for her. Jin mentally cursed himself for his lack of attention and observation.

Dying. She was dying.

The little slip of a girl he remembered first laying eyes upon in the teahouse that stared at him in wonder with innocent hazel eyes. The very one who cheated two skilled swordsmen from death and commanded them under her tiny iron fist. A mere child that sought her own destiny, denied her own past and fate, and looked for a better tomorrow. The only person that had saved him more times than he had ever saved her…just by smiling.

And she was dying.

Mugen. He had known all along about Fuu's condition. Why didn't he tell him? Why hadn't Mugen stayed with Fuu and supported her? More to the point, why didn't Fuu say anything? Did she not see how serious this was? Did Fuu even care if she lived or not? The girl didn't even want to go to the doctor…

If he had known that she was so terribly ill, he wouldn't have wasted all this time wandering or being a mercenary, taking up pointless jobs for idle money. He would have been here, with Fuu. Doing…well, the samurai wasn't sure what he could have done to help, but he would have done something—anything to help her. And she's been alone…this entire time.

The samurai felt in a way, as if he had let Fuu down. Even though their journey ended and his duty as her bodyguard had long since been severed, he had always silently vowed to be there for her if she ever needed them again. He was sure Mugen felt the same way. He reasoned with himself, however, that he couldn't have known what happened to Fuu in the time that they had been apart. They had had not contact. No letters, no meetings, nothing. Still…for some reason he grew angered and guilty when he thought of the young woman suffering by herself. How serious was it that she had to be dying?

"Jin?" A soft voice called out from the other side of the shoji door. The samurai was immediately jerked awake from his brooding thoughts and turned over his shoulder to see a very distinct shadow right behind him. "Are you there?" the voice asked, and although it was a whisper, he could hear her very well.

He could tell she was sitting back to back with him on the other side of the shoji door. Jin let himself relax a little and closed his eyes. So, she was awake now.

"Yes Fuu, I'm here."

A long awkward silence followed, and he could tell she was somewhat hesitant to speak to him.

"…Are you angry?" She timidly asked. Jin sighed softly. He'd be lying if he said he weren't, but he couldn't exactly blame Fuu for something that clearly wasn't her fault.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I'm sorry," She apologized once more. "Like I said before, I thought Mugen had already told you. You said that he talked about me when you last met, so I assumed that he also told you about my…well, you know." Her voice grew quieter by the minute, as if she spoke any louder she'd break something.

"How long?" He asked; eyes still closed. Behind him on the other side of the door, Fuu tensed.

"One year," she finally answered. "It's been a year since I found out about it."

The samurai's dark eyes opened, only to narrow in deep thought. One year. One whole year in which Fuu had begun to wither away.

"Have you been to the doctor?"

"…Hai. And he's given me some medicine for it."

"Does it help?" Jin turned his head slightly to look at the shadow against the screen that was Fuu. She shifted.

"A little," she whispered. "…Sometimes."

Jin frowned at this. "How bad is it?"

"It comes and goes," Fuu replied. "What the doctor subscribed to me isn't the best there is, but it does help," the girl reassured, trying to sound more cheerful about it. "Besides, it's all I can afford. There _is_ better medicine to treat me with, but it's far too expensive for me to pay and I'm already working as much as I can to pay off for my current medical expenses.

"In any case, even if I could afford the best medicine they have, it's not like I'll be saved," she added with noticeable helplessness.

"What do you mean?" Jin leaned in closer against the screen now, so that he could feel Fuu's body heat through the door. Again there was a long silence, as if she didn't want to say the truth. But it came out anyway. He deserved to know.

"The doctor said there isn't a cure for what I have. The most he can do is numb my pain or prolong the time that I get in between the attacks. Nothing more."

Jin couldn't say another word. No cure. There wasn't a cure. She can barely afford her current herbal medicine. Dying. Fuu was dying. One whole year. All of the recent information that he had just received swirled in his mind all at once, and he was beginning to get a headache. He brought a finger up to rub his temple.

"…Are you sure there isn't…"

"Listen to me, Jin. When I was younger, my mom would always play with me and father everyday. But then, she stopped because she began getting these pains her chest every now and then and told us to go without her. She told me that it would get better soon, and that's she'd be playing with me again in no time.

"When father left however, it only seemed to get worse. Mom could barely hold a job because she collapsed so often from her attacks. It came to the point where she couldn't get out of bed at all, and there wasn't a cure for her either. She died when I was fourteen. That was when I started working in the teahouse."

The samurai felt her stretch behind him, seeing the shadows of her arms reach towards the ceiling before dropping from the corner of his eyes.

"I think maybe it's genetic or something," Fuu finished, leaning against the doorframe.

Jin's eyes narrowed, and he rubbed his hand over his chin and mouth in thought. His features reflected that of determination. "There must be a way…"

"There isn't anything else I can do," Fuu insisted, trying to get through to him now. Her voice was surprisingly calm. "There isn't anything _you_ can do, Jin."

With that, he could no longer feel Fuu resting her back against him for she had stood up; her shadow against the shoji screen faded from sight. In that one moment, Jin realized something was laced in her words: resignation. Fuu had accepted her fate.

And that was the real reason why there were only four hundred and twenty-seven paper cranes.

+ End Chapter +

* * *

A/N 

Some very **important contexts **worth mentioning and Japanese translations:

**One Thousand Paper Cranes – **It has been a long standing Japanese myth that if you make one thousand paper cranes, you will be granted a wish or have good luck and health for the rest of your life.

** Fuu's illness – **Heart Cancer. I don't know the full symptoms of this serious illness so please forgive me if I get some things wrong. Of course, doctors during this time did not even have a name for it let alone proper care.

**Itadakimasu – **"Thank you for the food," in Japanese. It is polite custom for people to say this phrase before eating a meal

**Ohayo–** "Good Morning."

**Mochi – **A sweet pastry.

**Yukata – **A robe/kimono that is usually worn in the summer or used as sleeping garments at night.

**Hoari **– The upper gi shirt of a male's kimono.

Thank you for all of those who reviewed last time. I really appreciate each and every single one of them and hope that you'll all stay for the whole story.

Stick around for the next chapter, which will be posted soon!

**Please READ AND REVIEW! **Again, I ask for no flames especially from those who just plain hate the story for the pairing. Criticism welcome, of course.

Thank You and Ja Ne!


	3. Through Foggy Lenses

A/N

Wai! So sorry, someone pointed out that Jin didn't really need his glasses for better vision as he did for accessorizing… Ah, so I went back and fixed some of the story to compromise with this fact. Like I said before, haven't seen the entire series to get all the facts, so please forgive my blunder.

**Disclaimer: **All rights to Samurai Champloo belongs to Shinichiro Watanabe.

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Sweet Nothings

By Youkai Yume

Chapter 3: Through Foggy Lenses

It was a numbing walk down the familiar dirt path. Jin wasn't sure why he was doing this, or why he chose to leave Fuu back in that lonely house atop that sullen hill. The girl didn't even notice that he left, having fallen asleep once more from her body's exhaustion. He preferred it that way. If she knew that he was leaving, he knew what she would say. He could already hear the protests, the excuses and reasons she would give him for not going through with it.

She'd say that she wasn't worth the trouble, and Jin just didn't want to go through that long process. He had made up his mind and would not be deterred. A growing feeling of guilt and worry crept throughout the samurai with each step that he took. He didn't like the idea of leaving Fuu all alone now. Even for a second.

But it was quickly shaken away when he laid eyes on his destination. Fuu had managed to take care of herself before he came, and he was sure she would be all right by herself. He just hoped that when he returned, Fuu wouldn't be too irritated with him.

With a deep breath, Jin entered the restaurant where Fuu worked.

"Good evening, How may I help—Ah!" The old man's eyes crinkled with his smile. "You're that fellow from yesterday. Come in! Come in! Do you need anything?" He quickly pulled the samurai to a nearby table and seated him.

"I'm here about Fuu," Jin began sternly. The shopkeeper's expression quickly turned into that of concern.

"Is she alright? I know that she hasn't showed up yet, but…"

"She's not feeling well today," he said softly, resisting the urge to clench his fist at the understatement of the year.

"Again, huh?" The elderly man sighed and rubbed the bald spot on his head slightly. "Well, I suppose it can't be helped. I don't want another collapse like yesterday. Somehow, I don't think it's because she's been overworking."

Jin couldn't bring himself to say anything. It seemed as if Fuu's own employer didn't know the extent of her condition. He wondered how many people did.

"That all you came here for?" the shopkeeper inquired, and was mildly surprised to see the samurai shake his head. "Then you've come to fill in for her then?"

"Actually…"

* * *

He found her sitting by the door with her usual pink kimono on and hair tied up as usual. She had her head leaned against the frame and her hazel eyes stared into the far off distance as if she were some sort of deep trance. In fact, she hadn't even noticed that Jin had arrived until he took his first steps onto the porch that she blinked out of her own little world and looked back up at him in what he saw was relief and shock.

"Jin…" his name ushered out of her lips as if she were shocked to see him at her doorstep. "You're still here…"

He nodded, not taking his eyes off of her as she stood up to meet his gaze. She was still shorter than him by a head at least, he thought idly. It was then that he truly saw how frail she had become, despite the amounts of food she consumed.

"Where did you go?" She asked, tilting her head to the side.

"To take care of some business," was his short answer. This didn't seem to satisfy Fuu, for her eyebrows knitted together in thought.

"What kind of business? Is it something important? You can tell me, Jin," the girl urged, looking hopeful. The samurai looked away, clearly hesitating.

"…Starting tomorrow, I'll be working at that restaurant with you."

For several moments, it grew deathly silent. Jin normally preferred it, but this on unnerved him. Fuu only blinked, as if registering what he said into her mind. Then…

"WHAT!"

The samurai mentally winced at her shrill voice. "I got a job at the restaurant as well."

"You can't work there with me! You've got places to go, the manager's not hiring, is this about my collapse the other day—"

"Fuu."

"Because I SWEAR it doesn't happen often—"

"_Fuu,_" Jin said sternly, stepping closer to her so that only two feet separated them. "It's only part-time. I'll be looking for other jobs around here, so it's only temporary," he explained calmly. Fuu's eyes widened, as if she realized what this meant. If he was looking for a job HERE, then that meant he was going to be staying. But…

"Why?"

"…"

His silence was all it took to answer her question. She knew exactly why, and it made her happy yet at the same time unbearably sad. But she didn't say anything, and that relieved Jin because he didn't want to talk about it either. They both understood each other then and there, even if all Fuu wanted to do was cry. Even if all Jin wanted to do was tell her that it would be all right.

"I…I thought you had already left," Fuu said quietly, as if she didn't want the samurai to hear. But he did hear it, and he could hear something else when she said it too. She was saddened by the thought that he would leave her, and relieved that he was still here, standing before her in the evening sunlight.

Jin remembered the sight of her before this moment, of her waiting outside with that distant look in her empty hazel eyes. And in that one moment Jin forgot everything else that he had set out to do, and only time mattered. Time in which he had left with the girl who had forgotten how to smile properly and it was indeed, little time.

He approached her slowly, and she watched him as he brought his hands up to grasp her slender shoulders and squeezed them gently, reassuringly. Their eyes met. Hazel to dark slate gray.

"I'm not going anywhere Fuu," Jin told her softly, and when she gave him the tiniest of smiles, no matter how empty it was, Jin knew. There was no way he could possibly leave her side now.

* * *

There were things he noticed about Fuu lately. Like no matter how early he woke up in the morning, the young girl would find a way to wake up earlier than he did. It didn't even matter if she slept early or late or if she had been completely exhausted the night before, she still managed to do it. Perhaps Jin was losing his samurai discipline and was becoming domesticated, or maybe Fuu just had this timer in her head that told her when to wake up and it rang promptly at "Before Jin."

There was also the fact that when she balanced plates, she had that concentrated look on her face. You know, the one where her tongue is sticking out of her pink lips in concentration and her brows are knitted together as she looked at all of the food to make sure nothing had fallen off. Or how sometimes, as she brought back the empty trays, she liked to sneak a dumpling off of the chef's prepared meals when no one was looking.

Of course he noticed these things when he was with her at work. And whenever he caught her, Fuu would always give him 'the look.' The one where she looked like a wounded puppy and she'd just stare at him until he sighed and went back to his own business, pretending that he'd never seen her commit the deed.

And there was one thing that made them alike in a way. Both of them didn't like to talk about their problems. Jin would look at her everyday, telling himself that she wasn't growing paler, or thinner, and she'd tell him she was fine. That she was getting better, really she was. It was why she hadn't said anything about him working for extra money to buy better medicine. And it was why she pretended that they lived their lives as if she wasn't dying at all.

Of course, just because you said or thought them, didn't make them real. He knew it. She knew it. But they'll never voice it. Sometimes, as Jin was washing the dishes in the kitchen and staring at the dirty water in the tub, he wondered about this so-called life that they were living.

He knew that living in the same house with a young girl was undignified, but it seemed natural and sensible to do so. The samurai had to be near in case anything were to happen to her, and Fuu didn't complain in the least when he asked her if he could stay. At the very least, she hadn't suffered from one of her attacks since then, and even if she did he was sure that she'd try to hide it. Very unlikely though, for Jin knew Fuu was an awful liar. But there was something different when it was just the two of them.

He treated her as if she were fragile glass that would break if he let anything touch her, and in return she spoke to him sometimes as if he was only her guest instead of a friend. All in all, even now that they were housemates and lived under the same roof, it wasn't the same as before. It wasn't like when they were all traveling together, and there was that sense of close kinship. For some reason, they were tense around each other, polite and tight-lipped.

One step forward, two steps back.

Jin didn't know why he cared if Fuu didn't talk to him as much as she used to, because he usually enjoyed solitude. But he did. Jin did care, and he admitted that he missed Fuu's inane chattering and warm smiles. They all seemed distant now.

He couldn't blame her though. Even though they lived together, they don't speak or meet much during the day. At work, they were always too busy to be talking, and Jin only worked part-time anyway. The rest of the day, the samurai would take up any odd job that he could find, from hired mercenary or bodyguard to the street vendor who sold noodles that were overly spicy.

When he got back, it would already be dark, and Fuu would be waiting with dinner out, and they'd usually eat in silence. Sometimes, he was alone in his company because Fuu was too tired and went to bed early.

Just passing each other by.

There were times when the samurai questioned if Fuu was angry with him in some way, even if he didn't know what it was exactly he could have done to make her mad. It didn't seem that way though, but it did seem like she was almost sad every time their eyes met. Jin scarcely wanted anyone's company, but he admitted that he missed Fuu's. Especially now, since he didn't know how much time he'd get to have left with her. He wondered if she still lay under the stars every night to make a wish. He didn't know; he never got back early enough, and it wasn't something he'd ask.

It would be worth it though, he told himself, because he was doing it for Fuu. To be near and protect her always, just like he always did. And that was all that ever mattered. Still…the samurai wondered if things would ever be the same for them, and if Fuu ever missed him too.

* * *

"I'm going on my break now," Fuu called out to the shopkeeper from the back door. Jin watched as she disappeared outside, no doubt to get a breath of fresh air. Even long after she had left, he stared at the spot where she had been. 'She's tired,' Jin noted. 'More than usual.' It wasn't until the chef coughed behind him that the samurai resumed his duty of drying the dishes. A chuckle echoed throughout the room.

"You sweet on her, or somethin'?" Kenta, the burly looking cook teased slightly while chopping up some green onions. Although he was tall, the man was only about two or three years older than Fuu. Jin put one of the plates on the shelves and looked back with expressionless eyes.

"What makes you say that?"

"Well," he paused for a second, thinking about it, "A guy like you, in a place like this? You're always lookin' out for her. Starin' sometimes like she's somethin' else," Kenta pointed out. "Plus, you showed up with Fuu one day, right? Ever since then you've been comin' in with her every mornin'." Jin narrowed his eyes at this assumption, pushing his glasses further up the bridge of his nose.

"You are mistaken. Fuu and I are merely friends."

"Sure, whatever," Kenta laughed, and this in turn peeved Jin a bit. But he tried his best to ignore it. "Hey, don't get your feathers ruffled. I know how it is." The young chef grew serious. "It's easy how it comes, isn't it?"

Jin stared at him, not sure what he was saying.

"Worryin' about her I mean," Kenta clarified, checking up on the soup. "I remembered when she showed up outta nowhere one day. Poor thin', all hungry and beat. Luckily, our manager was kind enough to give her free eats, though he might have regretted it after he saw how much the lil' lady _could _eat."

Jin resisted a smile at this. Fuu always said that she had an extra stomach for free food.

"She begged for a job. Said she needed it, and that she'd work real hard to earn her keep. I personally think she works too hard, ya know?" He put a hand to his forehead, imitating a fainting motion and smirking. Jin only stared back stoically. "I always wondered what a girl like her was doin' all by herself. Pretty lil' thin' like her without a guy, makes me wonder," Kenta sighed. "Sometimes, I can't help but think it might be easier on her if there was someone there to take care of her."

At this point, a sad smile crept upon the chef's lips and he turned away from Jin, pretending to be more concerned over the curry and noodles. "That's why I offered to marry her."

The last part came quietly, but Jin had caught it, and he now had his full attention. The samurai's dark eyes seemed to study the man before him with such intensity that it could have burned a hole through his kimono, and an unknown feeling of unease rose within his chest when he realized that this time, Kenta was not joking.

"You proposed to Fuu?" He asked, not taking his eyes off of him. Kenta scratched his hair and laughed once more.

"Yeah, but she turned me down flat. I asked her if there was another guy. She told me there wasn't. So when I asked Fuu why, she just told me that bein' with her was pointless. I dunno, I just couldn't convince Fuu…" Kenta said sadly, "I guess she has her own reasons, and I won't pry. But it doesn't stop me from worryin' about her," he gave a lopsided grin Jin's way. "Fuu's a funny girl that way."

Dark eyes remained on Kenta for a few more moments, realizing he understood what the man said and felt.

"Ah," he answered, turning back to his dishes just as Kenta turned back to his stove, not sure why he felt oddly relieved. Behind them, they heard footsteps coming in from the backdoor and a feminine yawn followed shortly after.

"I'm back," Fuu announced, smiling at the both of them in the room. Kenta gave her a full-blown grin while Jin nodded silently at her. "Ooh, Kenta-san that smells good…" she crooned, eyeing the plate he had just prepared.

"Nuh-uh," The chef shook his finger at her, "No free samples this time!"

"Aw, you're mean, Kenta-san," she pouted playfully before returning to her waitressing duties. On her way out, Fuu's eyes met Jin's. But only for a second, then she turned away as if she was afraid to look at him. Inwardly, Jin felt something tighten within his stomach, and he found himself having no desire to talk to Kenta anymore for the rest of the day.

* * *

It was growing dark by the time they were done. Jin decided that because the restaurant was so busy that day, he wouldn't bother going out and looking for extra jobs. When the last of the customers cleared out and everything was cleaned and polished for the next day, all of the employees bid each other goodbye and headed for home.

The two of them walked in silence, Jin treaded slowly ahead with Fuu trailing behind. For a moment, the samurai expected her to break out into pointless conversation as he was so used to her doing. But of course, it never came. She only looked at her feet that lead her down a path she knew well, and Jin noticed what it was about Fuu that made her so different.

She was like the clouds that currently swirled above them: gloomy. He wondered why…

"Eep!"

The sudden sound of something crashing to the ground brought Jin's head whipping around. There on the ground was Fuu, who was looking slightly disgruntled at her shoe; cheeks puffed out.

"Tsk, it broke…" she mused to herself, glaring at the offending object with its' broken strap quite intensely. Perhaps if she stared at it long enough, the shoe would magically fix itself. Of course when it didn't work, Fuu's expression turned sour and a light flush stained her cheeks. Jin could have laughed at the almost cute picture that she made.

Mentally sighing to himself, he walked towards the still pouting girl and kneeled, with his back turned to her. From the corner of his eye, Jin could see Fuu looking at him in complete confusion.

"Get on," he instructed her. This made her blush and she shook her head in embarrassment.

"It's not like I broke my legs or something like that! I can still walk."

"Your feet will get dirty," Jin said obviously. However, internally he was quite bemused at what he just said. Dirty feet? Since when did the samurai care about such petty reasons, let alone offering such a gesture to the girl? And she did have a point—she wasn't injured to the point that she was handicapped. The longer he thought about it, the more Jin realized how completely useless carrying her would be. After several moments in which he was sure Fuu had come to the conclusion that he was not himself, he felt two arms wrapping themselves around his neck.

"Okay," Fuu's voice said into his ear.

He picked her up easily off of the ground. Her shoes were dangling by his side as he held them in his right hand. Without another word they continued on their way, but it was not comfortable silence. It was awkward.

Fuu lay her head against his shoulder, and he could feel her warm breath against his neck, tickling the skin there. For several moments, Jin thought up of ways to strike up a conversation and hopefully get past this invisible wall that had somehow built itself between them without his noticing. But his mouth remained shut and not a word came out. He cursed himself for his lack of skill when it came to speech.

"You know, you don't have to do this you know," Fuu said softly, lifting her head to look at him.

His grip on her legs and shoes tightened for a split second. "It's quite alright, you're actually very light," Jin assured. Her weight on his back really was very comfortable, and he actually quite enjoyed carrying her like this…

"No, not that."

He was looked at her from the corner of his eye, confused. A light sigh could be heard and she seemed to slump against his form.

"What I meant was, you don't have to stay here with me, if you don't want to," he stiffened at this, but said nothing as he treaded on, holding his breath. "I know you're working to try to earn extra money in order to help with my medical expenses, and I know you're afraid that if you leave I'll die."

Jin paused in mid-step for a second before continuing. He couldn't believe Fuu said that so blatantly. But the fact of the matter was…she was absolutely right.

"Fuu…"

"I'm not a little girl anymore, Jin. I'm 18; I can take care of myself."

"Don't you think I know that?" Jin whispered before he had a chance to stop himself. He did know, dammit. He knew very well that Fuu wasn't the same girl that he had met all those years ago. He knew she was capable of looking after herself and living a life without him. With her soft, lithe body pressed against his back and warm breath that brushed against his neck, he knew very well that she wasn't a little girl anymore. Jin tried to shake these intruding thoughts out of his head, not sure where they came from.

"What about Shino?" Fuu asked bluntly, her tone of voice getting a bit tense. "If you're here with me, then what will happen to her? You didn't forget, did you?"

"…No, I haven't." He wished that she would just drop this whole subject. He cared about Shino, yes. But he cared about Fuu too, and it wasn't a crime for him to be concerned about her well being. She was the closest friend that he had ever had in his entire lifetime, and she meant something to him. Shino would have to wait, for how much longer he didn't know. But he knew the kind woman would've understood. Frankly, Jin wished that she would just drop the whole subject.

After all, Jin didn't like talking about his problems.

"Is it pity?" Her voice turned cold, so much so that it almost sent a shiver up Jin's spine.

"What?"

"Because if you're only here with me out of pity, then I'd rather you leave right now."

Jin had never heard Fuu sound so harsh in his entire life. He glanced back at her, only seeing that she was one hundred percent serious.

"I can walk home."

He felt something akin to disbelief spread throughout his entire body as she slowly began struggling to get out of his grasp. How could she even—

"It's not pity, Fuu," Jin said sternly. The girl didn't seem to believe him but stopped her squirming altogether.

"Then what is it then? You know there's nothing that can be gained by being here. You can't stop it. You can help me get the best care in the world, but it won't save me."

"I know that!" He wanted her to stop, even if it was the most honest she had been with him in days. Even if she spoke the truth and she _couldn't_ stop because she needed him to understand. He didn't want her to say it…please, if she didn't say it then it wouldn't be true—

"You can't save me, Jin."

That one statement encased in a whisper seemed to bring the entire world to a halt. The wind blew through their bodies; a cold, unforgiving wind. And above them the sky grew grayer still. He felt something warm and damp seep through the cloth on his shoulder, and he didn't have to look back to know that Fuu was crying.

It was if, in telling this one truth to Jin, she was admitting it to herself. And it hurt. It hurt them both. She mumbled something incoherent. Something that was mixed in between apologies and shock that she had let these words slip. Her fingers grasped the loose cloth at the back of his shoulders desperately. A simple gesture that spoke of lost hope and aching loneliness; it was a pleading cry that said that even though she said it aloud, she was still afraid to go back.

Back to being alone.

"I won't abandon you, Fuu," he said gently, soothingly to her. She lifted her head in surprise; not sure if what she had just heard was real or not. "Even if there isn't anything I can do. Even if everything will be in vain, I have to try. I have to." And that was the truth too.

It hit her so hard that she was unable to cry or speak for entire minute, and before he knew it, her arms wound around his neck once more, warm and inviting. Her head rested against his shoulder, as it should be, and he could feel her lips turn in a smile against his neck as she sighed in contentment.

And he realized—This. _This_ was why he was still here. The simple moments when Fuu just looked at him, touched him, and he felt _needed_. To know that another human being needed him, and solely him to just stand beside her. He doubted if Fuu remembered what something like that felt like. But he vowed he'd remind her once more. Just once more…

Because Jin didn't want to go back to being alone either.

Small water droplets fell onto his face, and both of them looked up at the sky at the sensation. A low rumbling echoed throughout the dark clouds that hung overhead, and pretty soon, the little droplets of water were coming down faster and heavier.

"Oh no, it's raining!" Fuu groaned, looking up at the sky crestfallen. "No way we can make it back dry now."

"Yes we will."

"What—Hey!"

Before she knew what was going on, Jin had broken off into a full sprint, causing Fuu to hold onto him tighter than ever. He inwardly smirked at her amazement at how fast the samurai was going even with her added weight; but then again, she had seen his speed in battle before and shouldn't be too surprised…

It was getting harder to see as the rain pelted all around them, seeping into their clothes and splattering on their skin, making it so unbearably cold that she could have sworn even Jin was shivering. Still, he showed no signs of stopping, and he could tell the girl on his back worried about tripping and falling if they didn't slow down.

"Jin…"

"Almost there," he urged. When they had finally reached the house, Fuu shakily slid off of his back and sat in a slump in the middle of the hardwood floor of the main room. They were both panting, despite the fact that he had done all of the work and Fuu did nothing at all.

"Well, that did a lot of good," she started, looking at him with a sort of amused smile. "We still got completely soaked."

Jin observed Fuu as well, and then himself, realizing that she was absolutely right. Both of them were dripping wet from head to foot and were creating small puddles of rainwater on Fuu's once nice dry floor. He wasn't sure if he was just tired or not, but his vision suddenly started blurring.

Something rang throughout the room, something that sounded suspiciously like Fuu's laughter.

"J-Jin!" Her voice was strangled in between her merciless giggles, "Your glasses, they're fogging up!"

He blinked once, then took off his spectacles to see that everything was less white than before and sighed internally in relief. For a minute there he really thought he _was _going blind. Jin stared at the girl in front of him, still shaking with laughter and he tried very hard to scowl, but failed.

It had been…so long since he had heard her laugh like that. It was beautiful, and he half-wished that she'd never stop.

"Don't move, I'll be right back." Before he could say anything, Fuu had left taking his glasses as she did so, leaving him alone in the room with only the pitter pattering sound of raindrops to keep him company. He heard her return seconds later, appearing right in front of him in a kneeling position. Something draped over his head and shoulders and it wasn't until he felt small hands rubbing it through his hair and face that he realized Fuu was drying him with a towel.

She was still giggling, and he didn't mind in the least. He even reveled in the feel of her fingers running through his hair, drying the silken strands as she did so. Something brushed his nose and ears, and Jin realized that she had returned his glasses to him.

"I cleaned them for you," Fuu said proudly, continuing her fuss over him. Under normal circumstances, Jin wouldn't have liked her touching him, much less drying him off like this. He would've told her that he could do it himself, but this time…this time all Jin could really do was sit there and watch her. He watched as strands of her brown hair clung to her face and neck, and the pink cloth of her kimono cling to the curves of her body. He watched as the drops of water trickled down her flushed face and smiling lips, and couldn't tell whether they were raindrops or tears.

And he couldn't help but smile. There…everything was normal again. Well, whatever it was that was considered normal for the two of them. Jin knew that the invisible barrier that had kept them at a distance from each other had been lifted, because Fuu was smiling again, and that was all that really mattered.

She gazed at him with hazel eyes that spoke of tenderness and kindness. Things he knew he didn't deserve from her.

"Thank you, Jin," she said softly, sitting beside him.

He let his dark eyes wander to the door for a second, revealing a sky that was shedding its' tears. Normally, when Jin looked at the rain, all he could remember was sadness.

But today…just for today, he'd remember this moment, of the feeling of peace that it brought. And he'd remember Fuu.

'No, Fuu…Thank **you**.'

* * *

If I let go of your hand that's clasping mine,

With that, at this moment, it would all probably come to an end.

* * *

+**End Chapter**+

* * *

A/N

Thank you all so much for the reviews! A lot of you have a very healthy wish that Fuu will magically become heart cancer-free. Ah, I don't guarantee any happy endings…

That last quote was from Maaya Sakamoto's song, _"Into the Light" _which fits the theme of this story perfectly. If you ever have the time, check it out.

**Please READ AND REVIEW! **As always. No flames please if you plan to insult me because of my pairing choice. Criticism welcome, and of course, I appreciate all of the feedback that I can get deeply.

Stick around for Chapter 4 coming soon!

Thanks and Ja Ne!


	4. Of Gods and Children

A/N

Once again, a very big thanks for all of you who reviewed my last chapter. I mentioned this before, but for those of you who didn't know, a couple of people pointed out to me the error I made with Jin's glasses. I already edited the last chapter to fix this mistake (it's too important to ignore…) and hopefully you'll all forgive me for my blunder. Again, I haven't seen all of the episodes, so let me off the hook? Haha.

**Disclaimer: **Honestly, if I was brilliant enough to have thought of Samurai Champloo, do you think I'd be here writing fanfiction for it?

* * *

****

Sweet Nothings

By Youkai Yume

Chapter 4: Of Gods and Children

Most of the time, Jin enjoyed being productive and useful. He didn't like to sit around and wait for things to happen or stand aside to watch when he knew that he could help in some way. Perhaps he was just disciplined as a samurai that way. Or perhaps traveling with Mugen and Fuu had made him used to doing so many jobs because of their constant lack of money.

But on days such as this one where he and Fuu were given an early leave because business was slow and she looked up at him with those big hazel eyes in hopes of getting to spend some time with him, Jin couldn't help but think differently.

"You can skip the extra part-time jobs for today, right?" She tugged at the loose fabric of his sleeves, "I think with as much as the both of us have worked, we must have saved up enough to give you a day off."

"Hmm," Jin considered the idea, and the more Fuu smiled up at him, the more it seemed like a good idea.

"I guess it's settled then!" she piped before he could even make up his mind, leading him to god knows where.

"Fuu, I didn't—"

"Oh, c'mon, Jin. You're such a workaholic. Is the idea of getting rest and relaxation so foreign to you? Geez, you're such a stick in the mud."

"Stick…?" Jin narrowed his eyes. He most certainly was not a stick in the mud. A little stiff, maybe but…At least he wasn't as lax as Mugen, who didn't work a lick and if he did (if you called robbing someone working), would spend all his earnings on women and sake before giving them a single coin. Honestly, the girl should appreciate his dedication and hard work. He frowned at her, which caused her to laugh and in turn, caused him to frown even more.

"Honestly, if hanging out with me is so terrible then don't bother," Fuu sighed. "I'll just go back and hang with Kenta."

His eyebrow twitched—ever so slightly. But she noticed it, and she smirked. The devious little… Jin wasn't sure when she had found out that he had such a dislike for the chef. It wasn't as if Kenta as a person possessed any bad qualities. But after their last conversation, the samurai just decided that he didn't want to have much to do with him. Especially because the only crime Kenta was guilty of was caring for the girl who was currently grinning like she had just been given a free plate of sweet potatoes.

It's not jealousy, he told himself. He scarcely ever felt such a thing and he was fairly sure that this wasn't it. Besides, Fuu was easy to find yourself caring for. But the samurai couldn't determine if everyone who came up and said that they cared about Fuu were false or genuine. He was only trying to look out for the girl. After all, she had always been notorious for her quick to trust attitude.

It was one of the things he admired about Fuu—her ability to give people a second chance and look for their one ray of light in darkness. But it was also a fault that he and Mugen constantly had to save her from in the past.

Why was he thinking so much on it, anyway? When he finally came back to his surroundings and looked down at Fuu, he realized… 'Damn.' She had won. With his heavy sigh and her squeal of delight, he allowed her to lead him to wherever her whim would take them.

* * *

"Ah, that feels nice," The girl cooed, her eyes sparkling with childlike happiness as her feet dipped into the cool water. "Just what I needed after being on my feet all day."

"You weren't on your feet all day, there were barely any customers," Jin retorted, sitting with arms crossed on a flat rock. Fuu gave him an indignant look before kicking up her feet, sending splashes of water into the air.

"Doesn't change the fact that it still feels nice," she defended, smiling. Her kimono was bunched up around her knees so that it wouldn't get wet, exposing her slim legs to the cool water and breeze. Jin looked away, almost as if it was inappropriate for him to even glance at any of Fuu's exposed skin. Even if it was completely innocent and not suggestive at all. It was Fuu, for heaven's sake! She called out his name and beckoned for him to join her.

"I'm not asking you to swim!" She tried to convince him. "Just dip your feet in!"

Dark eyes studied her for a moment. What's wrong with his current position? He liked it just fine where he was and he wasn't about to move just because she wanted him to wet his feet. Still, the girl was waving frantically for him to join, and she had that urgent look on her face. It was almost as if it was something he absolutely had to try. With a defeated inward sigh, he grudgingly got up from his nice flat rock and approached to the bank of the lake.

He should really learn how to say 'no' to her.

Jin stood there for a second, observing the water as if determining whether it was sanitary or not while Fuu looked at him expectantly. Finally, stepping out of his slippers and taking off his socks, Jin let his feet become submerged into the lake. At first, he held back a shiver at the cold sensation. But a few seconds later, the samurai felt his shoulders relax. She was right, it really was quite nice.

"Told ya so," The girl smiled, seating herself on the bank with her feet swinging back and forth under the surface. Jin followed her lead when she motioned for him to sit beside her. It wasn't until he looked down at his feet that he realized that the bottom of his hakama was also wet. He frowned slightly, not sure why he hadn't rolled them up before going into the lake.

A flicker of silver glinted in the sun beneath the surface and Jin found himself blinking to see if he hadn't imagined it. Beside him, Fuu squealed in delight.

"Fish! Oh, stay real still, Jin!" Her voice was an excited hush and she immediately hunched over to stare intensely at the little fish that swam around their feet. Jin smiled inwardly, not really paying at the fish at all so much as he was memorizing the concentrated look on Fuu's face.

"Ngh!" Jin winced, brought out of his inner musings when a sharp pain enveloped his right toe. It was a strange sensation…almost like little teeth nibbling his skin.

"Ne!" Fuu exclaimed as Jin hauled his foot out of the water, and both of their eyes widened considerably when they saw that a small fish was latched onto his toe, flailing its' tail in the air. "Jin! You caught one!" She laughed, watching as the samurai pulled it off of his toe with a scowl. It wasn't very big, but still feisty. It squirmed in his hands until it slipped away back into the water. Fuu gave a disappointed moan.

"Aw, that could have been dinner…" she whined jokingly. "You know Jin, if I had known your toes made such good bait we would have gone fishing a lot more often."

"But I'm horrible at fishing…" Jin admitted, his voice growing quiet as he remembered his last attempt at the endeavor. Fuu and Mugen's loud laughter (and it really was loud with the both of them combined) still lingered in his memory. Ugh.

"Your feet sure aren't," the girl smiled, poking at his side.

"**Fuu-chan**!" A small voice squeaked out of nowhere and both Jin and Fuu were caught quite off guard when a child of about six pounced on Fuu from behind wrapping her small chubby arms around the elder girl's neck. "Here you are, I missed you!"

"Ah…Satsuki-chan…you're choking me…" Fuu rasped. The little girl let go of Fuu at once as if she were the plague, fingers covering her mouth in apology.

"Sorry! Sorry!"

Jin watched curiously as Fuu stepped out of the pond, feet dripping and hugged the child named Satsuki with evident fondness. Moments later, footsteps could be heard from behind them, and Jin turned around to see a boy of ten with mousy brown hair run towards them.

"There you are, Satsuki! You shouldn't run off like that and—"

"Look, Satoru-nii! I found big sis!" The girl in Fuu's arms announced proudly. Her older brother scowled.

"I can see that, but you still didn't have to run!" He said in a haughty manner that vaguely reminded Jin of Mugen. "And you!" the boy pointed to Fuu, "If you have time to sit around by the lake, why don't you ever visit?"

"You little twerp! I was busy!" Fuu huffed, hands on her hips.

"Yeah right. Do you know how much I have to put up with Satsuki? She's always whining about how you never play with us anymore and it's really annoying," Sotoru countered. "Plus, the others aren't any better, they're always asking about you all the time. 'Fuu-chan' this, and Fuu-chan' that. Geez, can't you be a little less selfish and think about _them_ for once?"

"Grrr, you brat! How dare you call me selfish!"

"Nii-chan…Fuu-chan…please don't fight…"

Jin looked back and forth between Fuu and the children. He wondered what her relationship with them was, and they must be close because he knew for a fact that Fuu wouldn't let anyone—not even a kid talk to her like that without smacking them one first.

"I don't know why they all like you so much. You're not even pretty—" _SMACK!_ "Ow!"

Sigh. Spoke too soon. The boy was rubbing a swelling bump on his head where Fuu had hit him and a sour look passed over his face.

"What'd you do that for, wench?" He spat. Before Fuu could retort, Jin had risen from his seat, not caring about the way his hakama slopped around his ankles. The boy definitely reminded him too much of Mugen, and that was a bad thing. The samurai gave a rather intimidating stare down at Satoru, who stepped back slightly but stood his ground. Satsuki cowered behind Fuu. It seemed that the children didn't even notice that he was there until now.

"That's a very rude thing to say to a lady. Now apologize," Jin said stoically down to him.

"Jin…" Fuu whispered beside him, shocked. Satoru didn't look too impressed though.

"She's _not_ a lady. And who are you anyway, her father?"

Jin's eyes twitched and Fuu nearly choked. _Father! _ He was only five years older than the girl, thank you very much. Surelythe samurai didn't look _that _old.

"I am not," he responded stiffly. Satoru looked at him for a bit, eyes narrowing suspiciously.

"Her boyfriend?"

"No!" Both he and Fuu responded at the same time before they could think. Jin glanced over at Fuu who was trying to cover up a healthy pink blush on her cheeks that matched her kimono.

"He's a friend, for your information!" the girl snapped, flustered. Satoru seemed to have lost interest and shrugged. But the little girl by Fuu's side looked disheartened.

"Friend?" Satsuki asked meekly. "Is he…a new friend? Do you like playing with your new friend more than us?" Her small fingers grasped the fabric of Fuu's kimono as if she was a lifeline and she gazed up with rather hurt brown orbs. Fuu kneeled down, prying tiny hands from her clothing and held the child by the shoulders, a fond smile on her face.

"Oh, no Satsuki. That's not it at all. This is Jin," she looked over at the samurai and gave him the same fond smile that sent a lurch somewhere in his stomach, "he's actually an old friend, and it's been a very long time since I've seen him. But that doesn't mean that I don't like you anymore, Satsuki," Fuu comforted, and this seemed to have satisfied the child.

"Wait a minute…Jin?" Satoru's attention was suddenly focused entirely on the samurai, analyzing him as if he had just realized something phenomenal. "Don't tell me this is the same Jin in your ridiculous stories!"

"The one and only!" Fuu smirked, sounding rather proud.

"Wow! Are you really Jin-sama?" Satsuki asked in awe, completely forgetting her fear for the man. Jin blinked, staring at the children in bemusement.

"Um…yes…?"

"Wow…"

"Pfft. He doesn't look so cool," Satoru commented offhandedly. The samurai pretended not to hear that last remark and instead glanced incredulously over at Fuu, who caught his questioning gaze and blushed slightly, shifting on the spot.

"You told stories about me?" he inquired.

"Ah…Actually about us—all of us I mean. The children asked me what I was doing before I came here and I couldn't help but tell them all about our adventures. I left out some of the gorier details though."

"I see." Jin felt strangely touched by this confession. The fact that Fuu still remembered all of the time that they had spent together and in her mind had seen him (and perhaps even Mugen) as some sort of heroic figure, judging from Satsuki's expression of awe, made him oddly happy.

"Well, if he's Fuu-chan's friend, then we can all play together!" the little girl announced. "Can we Fuu? Pleeeeease?"

"Oh, no…" Satoru groaned.

"Sure, why not? It's been a while since we've been together."

"Yay! I'll get the others!"

"Others?" Jin raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, no…." the boy groaned even louder this time. Before another word could be said, Satsuki had bounded off to fetch these so-called others. In the bottom of Jin's sinking stomach, he realized that this must mean the beginning of some sort of munchkin play-date.

"Are these the children you were talking about the other day?" The samurai prodded Fuu, in which she nodded with a smile.

"Hai, they're the ones who made my first couple of paper cranes," Satoru seemed to become a little stiff at this, but said nothing. "They're all really sweet. Well, most of them anyway," Fuu gave an indignant look over at the now fidgeting boy.

"At least I'm not ugly," Satoru retorted, causing the elder girl to bristle in anger and Jin to smirk at how undeniably Mugen this boy was turning out to be.

"Toru-kun, you shouldn't be so mean to Big Sis," a girl about the same age as Satoru—maybe a year younger, with pig tails entered with Satsuki by the hand.

"Shut up, Hisami, don't tell me what to do!"

"Don't tell a girl to shut up, jerk!" Another girl snapped, entering the clearing with three other younger children who all seemed to identical triplets.

Jin blanched inwardly. He didn't expect so many, and he wasn't sure if he liked the idea of babysitting all of them. It wasn't because he hated kids. It was just because he wasn't exactly a pro when it came to handling them. Most children would shy away from him because of his intimidating aura and he had never had much experience in caring for them in general.

Also, somewhere in the far back of his head, he had been hoping to continue the day with his feet dipped in the lake, perhaps once in a while catching fish with his toes while Fuu laughed and spoke alongside him.

But looking over at her, Jin could see that something sparkled within Fuu's hazel eyes. A happiness and excitement that he didn't see often shine through. The samurai sighed inwardly, knowing that he'd agree to whatever she wanted to do, because it meant a lot to Fuu to be with these children. And he'd perhaps attempt to understand what it was about them that made her smile like that.

"The gang's all here," Fuu said happily and practically the whole horde of them rushed to hug the girl—all except Satoru of course.

"Is he really Jin?" One of the triplets asked, looking up at the silent samurai with wire-rimmed glasses.

"Hai! I forgot to introduce you all. Jin, these are the kids. Hisami," she placed a hand on the girl with the pigtails, "Miyu," the girl next to Hisami bowed and gave him a toothy grin. " And the triplets: Tetsuya, Tatsuo, and Takuya," all three of the smallest boys waved madly at the man, who couldn't help but quirk the tiniest of smiles at them all.

"Let's play!" Satsuki began to tug insistently at Fuu's sleeve, an impatient look on her chubby face.

"Alright, what do you want to play?"

A sly grin made it's way up her lips and without warning she bounded over to Hisami and screamed "TAG YOU'RE IT!" And ran off. Within seconds, squeals of laughter could be heard and all of the children scattered like spilt marbles.

It was all very fascinating to watch. Jin stood there as the little girl known as Hisami began to chase after Fuu and the others, trying to (from what he gathered) catch one of them. They all squealed and ran at her approach, taunting things like "You can't catch me!" or "I'll never be 'IT!'" Only he and Satoru were on the sidelines as bystanders, but it wasn't long before even the boy succumbed to the fun and games.

That left only the silent samurai to watch. There was something strange and comforting watching Fuu play with the children in a game that he could only describe as pointless. It was as if the only thing that seemed real was how happy she seemed to be.

She ran like the wind through the fields, bare feet grazing over cool grass and her laughter melded with all of the other children's under cerulean skies. Jin was sure that had he not known better, he could never tell that Fuu was sick or growing weaker by the day in the least.

A slight frown etched onto his features but he quickly shook it away. 'Don't think about it anymore,' he reminded himself. The sound of feet padding against the ground became louder and louder in his ears, and Jin looked up to see that Fuu was mere inches from where he stood.

"Why are you just standing there?" She asked, tilting her head to the side. "The kids want to know if you're going to join in or not."

"I'm too old for games," Jin stated obviously, shocked that she would even suggest such a ludicrous idea. He was a samurai; he didn't indulge in childish playtime…

"It's no fun being left out," Fuu said quietly. "Trust me, I know."

"You shouldn't strain yourself too hard," Jin started, hoping to change the subject. "I don't want anything to happen to you…" concern crept upon his features, and he genuinely hoped that it was all right for her to be playing with the children under her condition. She only scowled at him.

"You make it seem like I'm something fragile. I'm not going to break, Jin," Fuu replied.

"Oi! Hurry up! You're still IT remember?" Satoru called impatiently from the other side of the field.

"Hold your horses!" Fuu called back. She turned back to him. "So how about it, Jin?"

"Mmm," the samurai wanted to blend in with the trees in the background and stay rooted to the spot so that she wouldn't push him on the matter any further. His eyes widened however, when he felt her finger tap his nose playfully and shot him a wild grin.

"Well, whether you want to or not, you're going to have to play otherwise the game will end. And that would make the kids really sad."

"And why is that?"

The girl before him began to run away, her giggles like wind chimes on a summer morning. "Because you're IT! That's why!"

He wasn't sure what force caused him to do such things in the next fleeting seconds that seemed to pass by in a blur. His dark eyes followed her back as she ran away from him, laughing and calling his name. "Come catch me!" She'd cry, when all he could do was stand rooted to the spot. "Hayaku! Hayaku!"

And he found…that he couldn't resist. Against his own will, his feet had began their pace towards the girl, who gazed back with wide eyes as if she couldn't believe he was actually playing along. Then they sparkled in delight and excitement as she took off running once more with twice the speed.

Perhaps it was because her laughter seemed infectious. Or perhaps it was because of the summer breeze that made her hair dance with the wind that made his blood run faster, his breath grow quicker, and the pace of his jog turn into a sprint. Fuu ran as if she feared being caught, dodging behind trees and weaving through the fields. Yet she called out to him as if there was nothing more that she wanted.

In the background, the distant sound of children's laughter and voices could be heard, but Jin couldn't quite hear them anymore. The only one he could hear was Fuu's. He knew he could catch her anytime he wanted, and he was sure that she knew it too. But this game of cat and mouse…it stirred something within him. A feeling that the samurai couldn't recall ever having as a child. He couldn't place it, name it, or fathom it. But he wanted it to last.

That's why he allowed Fuu to run…just a little bit longer.

It wasn't until the girl began to slow down that he allowed his arms to wrap around her waist. He hadn't realized how long they had been running, nor how tired he was until his own legs gave way beneath him and he found himself falling, bringing Fuu along with him. They both fell onto the soft grass in a heap, Fuu's laughter still ringing in his ears like soft bells.

He lay beside her, one arm still loosely wrapped around her waist, and his breath came out in short pants. His glasses were slightly askew on his face as he peered at her through them, unable to look away. Her cheeks were tinged such a pretty color of pink that he wondered if there was any flower God made that could match her blush. Silky brown hair was splayed all around her, and some strands were even messily sticking to the sweaty skin of her forehead.

She smelled of orchids, and noodles, and of course—sunflowers, even though Jin still wasn't sure what sunflowers smelled like.

Fuu's lips were parted either to breathe in air or let out laughter it seemed hard to tell now, but he couldn't care less. He only wondered for a split second…if they were as soft as they looked. Only for a second. And there was something in her eyes that nearly took the samurai's breath away too—the look of pure, untainted happiness.

As her giggles faded away, she turned to look at him with warm hazel eyes that made his heart race faster, though he knew not why for they weren't running anymore. Fuu slowly moved to brush a couple of strands of raven black hair from Jin's eyes that he hadn't even noticed were there and whispered, "You win," in a soft voice that only he could hear.

And Jin never felt more alive.

'I want her to be happy…' the thought came to him so suddenly that it surprised him. 'I want Fuu to be happy, no matter what that means…' Whether it meant that she'd be content running in the fields everyday playing with children or eating mochi until she couldn't walk, he wanted her to be happy.

"Oi! There's still a game going on, remember?"

Both of them looked up from the ground over to the boy who looked extremely agitated.

"That makes you 'it' now, right Fuu? Well, hurry up!" Satoru griped, "The girls are starting to complain!"

"Hai! Coming!" The girl wiggled out of his arms and stood up, brushing dirt and grass from her kimono before running after them.

Jin decided to sit the rest of the game out.

* * *

Dusk settled over the lake by the time the children left. Some of them left on their own; others had to have their parents come drag them away.

"We should get going too. I really need a bath," Fuu commented, stretching.

"You go ahead, I think I'll stay out here a bit longer." Although Jin had enjoyed the time spent here more than he would like to admit, the samurai needed time to gather his thoughts and relish the coming night.

"Alright," the girl nodded before heading back to the house. He listened to her footsteps for several moments, making sure that she was safe before allowing himself to close his eyes and relax.

"You're still here," a familiar voice sounded from behind him. Without looking he could tell who it was.

"So are you," Jin answered back. "Don't you need to take your sister home?"

"I don't live very far from here, and Satsuki can take care of herself," Satoru said casually before sitting down beside the silent samurai. Jin wasn't sure whether he wanted him there or not, but at the moment didn't care enough about it to do anything.

For several moments, the boy and the ronin sat in silence, letting the dark of night settle over them.

"Let me ask you a question," Satoru started, his eyes growing suddenly fiery. Jin said nothing, only waited for him to proceed, "You…are you living with Fuu?" he asked through gritted teeth.

"Is that your question?" Jin inquired.

"N-No! I just, it's important for what I'm about to ask okay?"

"…Yes, I do."

The boy seemed to be a bit irritated with this fact but moved on. "And earlier, she said something to you about paper cranes so you know about them right?"

Jin nodded.

"Then…that girl, did she? Did Fuu—" Satoru seemed to be struggling with his words for a boy that had such a sharp tongue.

"What is it?"

"…She stopped making them didn't she? The paper cranes I mean," he finally asked in a voice that was surprisingly quiet. Jin wasn't sure what to say to him, not sure that if he told him the truth he would become angry or not. But then again, if he told the boy a lie if he would become even more angry.

"Yes," the samurai finally answered.

"Tch, I knew it. That idiot," Satoru muttered in a voice that bespoke of terrible frustration. "I told her to never stop until she got to a thousand."

His heated words caused Jin to glance over at him, and he saw something in his brown orbs that he hadn't noticed before. Complete and utter concern. Satoru, despite his insults and rude behavior truly cared about the older girl. 'Like someone else I know,' Jin mused.

"So, you know about Fuu's condition then."

"I'm the only one in our group that knows just how bad she's got it," Satoru ruffled his unkempt hair. "All the others just think she's sick with a long term cold or something. Geez, they're so stupid. I figured it out right away."

Although it seemed as if the boy was bragging about his intelligence, he seemed more saddened that he knew than proud. Jin felt a familiar ache in his chest and suddenly he felt a little closer to the brat.

"Have you told anyone about it? Your parents perhaps?" Jin inquired.

"Tried to. But she made me promise not to tell anyone," Satoru spat. All of a sudden, the boy stood up with fists clenched tightly by his sides. "She's so STUPID! If she needs help she should ASK for it! I'm just a little KID but even I know that! Why won't she let anyone help? She's _stupid_! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! **STUPID!**" He screamed to no one in particular, as if letting out a temper tantrum that he had held in for a very long time.

The samurai could do nothing but let the boy rant and shout, a realization dawning on him as his voice grew quieter each second: Satoru cared more for Fuu than any of the other children did. Something in his words that struck a cord within Jin that he could recognize…the fierce desire to protect and save Fuu. And the feeling of helplessness from knowing that there wasn't much that he, a mere child could do to help.

Of course, the boy would never admit it, that much the samurai knew. But it made him respect Satoru all the more… he was quite mature for a boy of eleven.

"Perhaps she is," Jin said, breaking the silence, "but it's not that she doesn't want your help. Fuu just feels that she doesn't deserve it." His dark eyes grew dim at his own words and he frowned deeply at the moon that was beginning to become more visible above them.

"Then she's even more stupid than I thought," Satoru huffed.

"Do you care?"

"Eh!" The boy grew a shade of bright red at this—so bright in fact that he was practically glowing in the dark. "No way! She's way too ditzy and she's n-not even pretty!" He said quickly, waving his arms frantically in the air. Jin nearly let out a chuckle.

Not only does he care but it also seemed that Satoru had a little crush on Fuu. No wonder he'd been a little frosty to him.

"Listen…" Satoru began, growing serious. "I…I don't want all those paper cranes that I—that all of us made to go to waste. So…you'd better make sure she finishes them, all right?"

"…I don't know if she'd—"

"Then _make her!_" Satoru insisted hotly. "She listens to you more!'

'Want to bet?' Jin thought sardonically in his head. He blinked in surprise when he saw that the boy had his arm extended to him.

"C'mon! It's a man-to-man promise, 'kay? So you gotta promise!"

The samurai looked at the extended hand, as if studying it's lines and calluses for several moments. Then, he stood up as well and took Satoru's small hand in his large one in a firm handshake.

"Alright then. It's a man-to-man promise."

* * *

She sang a soft melody, one that drifted and permeated the air with its sweetness and graceful notes. A song that she probably knew very well. Be it from childhood or from distant memory, she sang it anyway. Even if her voice wasn't that of a songbird or lured men like sirens, it captivated Jin all the same even though he resisted with every last ounce of his will.

So, she still did like to wish on stars at night. Wordlessly, he sat beside her, enjoying the tune that she hummed unconsciously to herself. She wore her hair down again, Jin mused and found that he quite liked how it framed her delicate features and brushed a little past her shoulders.

"You're back," she smiled, gazing at him. "I uh…got really hungry so I ate without you. I saved you some though."

"Ah," Jin nodded. "Arigato." He would eat it later after he bathed. "That song you were singing…"

"Oh," Fuu blushed slightly, "I'm pretty awful I know. Satoru told me I sounded like a screeching chicken once."

"No…it was very…" the samurai tried to find a word to define it. "Pleasant."

She smiled in contentment at this and ran delicate fingers through her hair in thought. "My mother sang it to me every night. But it was only when she thought I was asleep that she would. I think she was embarrassed about her singing voice too, even if it was to her own daughter," Fuu giggled.

"The spring is announced and the wild plants start to dance. The summer comes to Uji, and in the fields are patterns of grass set out to dry. The autumn moon rises and celebrates a perfect circle. The winter passes by and I start counting off the months again."

She spoke the words that had been burned in her memory, a sad smile tugging on her lips. Jin gazed up at the stars that she had been so engrossed at earlier and couldn't stop the question that came out of his lips.

"Why don't you ever wish for salvation?"

A weak laugh escaped her, and she rested her chin on her knees, which she hugged tightly to her petite frame. "I used to," Fuu began slowly. "But there's only so much that even I can wish for. As time passed, I began to realize that no matter how hard I prayed, there were some things that just can't be granted. Even God can't make me immortal," she said calmly, that same look of resignation that he saw earlier return to her hazel depths.

"So I began to wish for more practical things…things like mochi," She smiled a smile that was meant to lift the uneasiness from Jin's shoulders and lighten the mood; a smile that tried to convince him that it really was no big deal. "You know, there is one thing I've always wanted though," she thought, a finger to her lips.

"What's that?"

"I've…always wanted to have children of my own," she admitted softly, a bittersweet smile on her lips. This came as a bit of a surprise to Jin, for he hadn't thought that she would ever want to be a mother before. But then again, after seeing her interaction with the kids today, it wasn't too hard to imagine.

"I didn't know that," he responded, dark eyes searching hers. She didn't say anything, but she didn't have to. He knew what she was thinking… It was natural for a girl such as herself to dream of adventures and the world that lay beyond her sight. But it was also natural for her to dream of love, of a husband and children…a family.

"It's silly…"

"No, it isn't."

"…Yes, it is," Fuu whispered, her tone serious. And she didn't have to explain to him why. And that was because of the fact that she can't have children, or find love or live happily ever after. Fuu wouldn't be able to live long enough for that. It was why she refused to marry Kenta, and why she no longer cared about paper cranes or wished for what really mattered to the stars. And this thought possibly saddened the samurai more than it did her.

Here was a girl who once glowed with happiness at the mere smell of food, a girl who had the ability to have faith even when hope was bleak. She was a girl who held steadfast to her goal and never gave up, no matter what fate threw her way.

And now, as he gazed at her under the pale moonlight, he never realized how frail and tired she looked. Fuu was tired of hoping, of wishing for things that she knew would never come true. But she still smiled that bittersweet smile; her hazel eyes meeting his as if to convey some sort of message that he couldn't decipher.

It really was no big deal. Death was there every day, like a shadow that followed your footsteps. Even if you don't see it, it's still there, always with you. As a samurai, Jin knew this fact very well. The world still spins, and life goes on. She had learned to go on.

So why was it so hard for him to go on as well?

* * *

He heard her coughing that night when he tiptoed past her room. It took all of his strength not to rush in there and see if she was all right. But he didn't want her to know that he was up, or have her inquire _why_ he was up. Instead, he stood there in the hallway in front of her shoji screen door, slightly open so that he could see through the narrow slit.

His eye caught her form lying on the futon, back turned to him and shoulders shaking with the fury of her coughs. She tried to stifle it with her hand, with her blankets, hoping it would die down in hopes that he wouldn't hear her because he knew she didn't want him to see her like this.

And he forced himself to tear away from the door and pretend that he didn't hear her hacking away in the other room because he respected that decision. He paused before something red catches his attention. Even then, he willed for his feet to move. He'd pretend he didn't see that spot of crimson that stained the white sheet of her blanket that she had clutched to. He'd tell himself that it wasn't blood.

And he'd try to ignore the dull ache that thrummed in his chest as he walked away.

Now, Jin stood before a door that he hadn't entered ever since the first time he stepped into it on that fateful day. Although there was nothing inside to be feared, it was a painful reminder of something he was trying desperately to deny. Something that he still wanted to deny very much.

His mind flashed to the conversation that he had earlier that day, and Jin thought of Satoru and the promise that the boy had made him make. The samurai wasn't sure himself if it would do any good to keep it. Then he thought of Fuu, and her abandoned wishes, lost hopes, and bittersweet smiles. Then he drew in a deep breath and opened the door.

If she didn't dare to hope then he would. He would do it for the both of them, even if he didn't believe in fairy tales himself.

* * *

I wonder how you are doing in the cold wind,

I pondered a little bit

We leaned against a branch and talked

Even when my body started to chill.

And as the sun was setting,

As if you're protecting me,

As I suddenly start crying,

You stayed by my side silently.

* * *

+End Chapter+

* * *

A/N 

A couple of more contexts and translations you should know:

**Fuu's song: **_"Shiki no Uta" _of course, from the Samurai Champloo ending theme.

**The Ending Quote: **Another Maaya Sakamoto song called _"Tomodachi" _ (Friends).

**Satoru and Satsuki: **The interaction and attitude between these two might be a little familiar if you've seen or read _"Fruits Basket."_ (which I highly recommend btw) Satsuki's character was drawn a lot from Kisa Sohma, while Satoru was actually inspired by Hiro Sohma and not Mugen. Could any of you tell?

**Arigato: "**Thank you" in Japanese of course…

**Hakama: **The lower part or pants of a kimono (usually male garments).

**Hayaku: **Japanese for "Hurry!" So when Jin was chasing Fuu, she was telling him to hurry up and catch her.

Hope you enjoyed that. Sorry for the fluff, you should all know that if you read my fics there's bound to be some somewhere… Thanks so much again for all those who reviewed.

**Please READ AND REVIEW!** Try not to flame me just because you hate the pairing. Criticism always welcome, always appreciate the feedback!

Chapter 5 will be posted soon!

Thank You and Ja Ne!


	5. Porcelain Dolls

A/N

Thank you for all of your reviews. They really keep me going. I'm surprised some of you even started tearing up already…it's not even the sad part yet! Lol. But it's satisfying to know how much my work affects people.

**Disclaimer: **Not mine. Don't rub it in.

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Sweet Nothings

By Youkai Yume

Chapter 5: Porcelain Dolls

She had followed him into the room one night when she saw him sneaking into it. He could hear her footsteps behind him, yet said nothing when she tiptoed beside him. Finally turning dark eyes towards her, Fuu froze and blushed a deep scarlet when she realized she had been caught…or that she had caught _him_.

For many nights now he had gone into that room of colored paper and origami when he thought she was deep in slumber. The samurai knew she would notice that he wasn't in his bed sooner or later and wasn't about to hide it like some child that had broken his mother's favorite vase. And she decided that she wasn't going to cower and run back to bed. It was her house after all.

"Y-You're up," Fuu managed to stutter at last.

"So are you," he answered in a hushed tone, as if there were others in the house that still lay asleep.

"Only because you are."

"Hn," he answered his typical answer, his eyes bore through her like fire through ice. But she didn't falter, her hands coming up to clasp her yukata tightly around her shivering form. She wasn't going back to bed, he presumed, and inwardly sighed. It was now or never.

Turning around, Jin approached Fuu slowly before his hand grasped her wrist. She jumped slightly at the contact of his warm fingers to her cool skin. "I want to show you something," he said gently to her, tugging at her hand almost like an impatient child. She peered at him curiously, hazel depths questioning and probing.

There were was only the sound of their footfalls resounding throughout the hallways as he lead her down a line of familiar shoji doors. Pit. Pat. Pit. Pat. Until they stood in front of a particular one that he knew she never had any intention of going into again.

Her brows knitted together and her lips thinned in discomfort, as if knowing that what lay beyond the threshold was something she wasn't ready for.

"I've already been here before Jin," she said sarcastically, trying to pull her wrist away from him so that she might go back to the safety of her blankets, her warm shelter of denial. But he held fast to her slender arm, not letting her escape, squeezing it comfortingly to reassure her that it was going to be all right.

"But it isn't as you remember it," he told her cryptically. "Trust me," he says.

"I do," she replies.

"Then open the door."

He hears her swallow and she lifted her hand, fingers trembling as they touched the wooden frame of the door. Hazel eyes would flicker over to his dark ones in hesitation, and all Jin could do was whisper her name in encouragement. It isn't Pandora's box. There is no evil on the other side. There is only the hope that is left behind.

She opens it; the moonlight streaming in from the open porch door lights her face, touches her skin. A soft gasp escapes her lips and she stands frozen in wonder and confusion. Behind the girl, a samurai graces her small back with callused hands, guiding her inside. Just one more step, touch them for they are real.

"Jin," he heard her whisper, and she turned around to face him, hazel eyes almost glowing with the moonlight that reflected in them. "How many are there now?" Her voice was shaking, afraid to know the answer.

"Seven hundred and ten."

And then she was close to tears yet didn't let them fall, only turned away from his withering gaze as if she were angry or scared. Her feet led her deeper into the room, and she let small hands brush past the new cranes that hung from the ceiling, feeling as though for the first time the room had gotten smaller because it had gotten more crowded.

Some of them weren't perfect; showing signs of Jin's frustrations and struggles to make his first paper cranes. Others, like the ones towards the bottom of the chain were perfect—not a single crease out of place. She smiled then, imagining the samurai diligently working in silence to make them.

And then, he saw her frown and he knew she was not pleased.

"Why did you make them?" She asked, her back still turned to him.

He stayed quiet, not sure what to say for honestly he didn't know why he made them himself. He could tell her it was because Satoru asked him to help, but that didn't seem a sufficient enough answer. That wasn't his only reason. He could say that he still wanted her to believe, but that didn't seem right either because he didn't really believe in paper cranes either. In the end, there really was only one answer.

"I made them for you."

She laughed. "You're going to make me a thousand paper cranes? It doesn't work that way, Jin."

"No, you're going to finish making them," his voice was stern, his demeanor serious. Her laughter died way and she stared at him with an expression he didn't understand.

"They're just folded pieces of paper."

"It's not about the cranes, Fuu," he wanted her to understand, wanted her to see how blind she had become. He hadn't realized how desperate his voice sounded, even if it was only a little drop that slipped from the crack in his mask. "I just…need to see it again."

"See what?" Fuu was facing him now, imploring him to go on.

The thoughts seemed to choke in his mind, struggling to form words that made sense and logic he could comprehend. "That little glimmer," he started before he could stop his mouth, "…in your eyes…" the one that sparks when you're happy. "It's there…" fading…the flicker that tells me you're alive. "I want…" He didn't know why these thoughts or words kept coming out, or why all of a sudden such things meant so much.

And he could feel it…a deep yearning.

"What do you want?" She asked, peering at him.

"To see you believe again…" in faith, in hope, in fairy tales and sunflowers… "I don't want you to live as if you're _dying._"

"But I _am _dying," Fuu said firmly.

"But you're alive. You're alive **right now**." And that's all that mattered. He wanted her to live as if it were her last day, and who knows, any one of these days could be her last. He wanted her to just _live_.

She looked at him with an expression that seemed sad, yet at the same time infinitely grateful. Fuu smiled as if she had just found something extremely wonderful and a sigh emanated from her throat.

"You realize you don't make any real sense, right?"

And strong, silent, always-sensible Jin nodded in defeat, which caused her to laugh and shake her head. Fuu sat down among the disarray of scraps and colored paper, picking up one by her side and began to fold. Jin watched, not sure what just happened but sat down as well.

"All right, Jin," she said in a voice that suggested surrender. "I'll fold the stupid paper cranes. But not because I believe that they'll cure me," she added quickly, her finger pointed at him to make an emphasis. "I'm doing it for you. So that maybe one day you might see that glimmer, whatever that means."

He smiled at her, feeling as if something lifted from him and he couldn't seem to care if it was past midnight and they were sitting in a dimly lit room folding paper cranes.

"Of course," he muttered to her.

"I can't guarantee that I'll finish making one thousand," Fuu warned.

"That's all right, I'm not leaving you until I make sure that you do."

She froze then, her fingers grasping the nearly completed crane and stared at him with wide eyes. Then she smiled sadly, looking down at the little piece of paper in her hands and said nothing. Without any words, Jin knew that she wanted some time alone.

Silently, he got up and headed for the door, whispering good night before sliding the door shut behind him. But not before he heard her own little whisper follow in his wake. It nearly made his heart skip a beat.

"If that's the case, then I'll never finish…"

* * *

People who passed by looked curious, or perhaps even nervous. Some even walked hurriedly away, as if afraid that if they looked at him straight in the eye, he'd draw out his sword and chop off their heads. Honestly, Jin didn't think he looked _that _intimidating. For the first time in a long while, Jin felt like a bodyguard waiting patiently outside for some important lord to come out of a meeting.

Well, technically he was, minus the fact that the person he was waiting for was no lord. Yet there was no one more worthy of his protection except for her, and she was just an ordinary girl. Right about now, Fuu was inside the apothecary that he was leaning on, supposedly talking to a man that she called her doctor.

After counting up all of the saved money that the two of them had worked to earn for quite some time, they both managed to scrape up just enough to get Fuu one order of better medicine. He had been thinking for a while, and decided he'd ask the old shopkeeper about a full-time job at the restaurant. That way, he could be around Fuu constantly as well, just in case anything happened to her. Besides, since the shopkeeper favored him a bit now, so he wouldn't mind the added help and more importantly, wouldn't mind paying extra.

Today Fuu decided to take her lunch break hour to go pick up her new medicine and Jin decided to come with her instead of eating. She did however, request that she take along some pork buns for a snack, courtesy of Kenta.

At first, Jin insisted that he go inside to see the doctor with her, intending to find out all that he could on Fuu's condition. She then called him nosy and that the doctor would feel uncomfortable with the samurai badgering him and made Jin stay outside. He hadn't moved from his spot since, wearing an impassive mask that held hints of a scowl.

Moments later, he heard her come outside and turned to face a rather scrutinizing Fuu, looking intensely at a jar of something powdery in her hands.

"Is that it?"

"Yeah…" she answered half-heartedly. "I thought we'd be able to get a lot more than this."

"How are you going to drink it?"

"Mix it with water and swallow." Fuu made a face when she thought about such an experience.

"It can't be that bad, you haven't even tried it yet," Jin said, taking the bottle from her hands and examining the green powder inside the jar.

"You weren't in there when he mixed it," she groaned miserably. "Oh god, the smell…"

Jin chuckled, giving her a bit of a sympathetic look. He remembered that she complained to him once about how it wasn't enough that she was sick, she had to endure the icky taste of her medicine that no amount of food could wash down the taste of for days. The poor thing… he thought with morbid amusement.

"Either way, you're going to take that," Jin warned, growing serious. "We worked too hard."

"Yes, mother," Fuu rolled her eyes, snatching back the bottle. "I'll take some tonight. And it had better work, or else I'm going to demand a refund!"

Jin looked at the noonday sun and estimated the time that had passed since they left the restaurant.

"We still have a few minutes left," he commented.

"Really? Then let's go look around the marketplace! Oh, just to window shop though," she added, looking guiltily at the medicine in her hands. "We'll have to be frugal for a little while. But there's no harm in looking."

Jin internally sighed. He would never understand why females in general liked to browse or look in shops even when they intended not to buy anything. You'd think that they'd get all wistful over the items that they want but can't have, and also piss off the vendors because they lead them into thinking that they'd be interested in buying. He knew about this very well, thanks to some of his part-time jobs.

Still, she looked at him so adamantly with those hazel orbs that he had given up trying to fight some time ago and he knew he'd let her do whatever she desired.

As they walked through the mildly bustling street, Fuu would once in a while peer at different items as Jin watched by her side. Sometimes, she didn't give the items a second glance, and other times she'd look at something with evident longing, taking out her purse to check if there was enough money. Of course there wasn't, and Fuu would then proceed to groan. The vendor groaned too for he had been placing his hopes on her buying his merchandise.

It were these times that Jin had an urge to take out his own money and buy her whatever item it was that she oggled at. But that was impossible for whatever he did have, he had already given to her in order to purchase that little jar of herbs. In short, he was broke too. She never looked to him or asked him to buy things for her though, for he knew that she was grateful and would never ask anything more from him. Still, it didn't ease down the seemingly natural feeling that refused to quell within him to please Fuu, dote on her and spoil her. Just because he wanted to see her face light up.

"Momma, momma there's Fuu-chan over there!" A familiar little voice said. Both Fuu and Jin turned around to see Satsuki tug the arm of an older woman who smiled and waved at them. Fuu bowed and waved back, her lips curving into a sweet smile when she saw Satsuki run over to give her a customary hug. After pulling away, the little girl looked up at Jin and mumbled a shy hello.

"Ne, Suki-chan…what are you doing here and where's Satoru?" Fuu asked, looking around for the brash young boy that was never too far from his sister.

"Nii-chan said he doesn't like to go shopping, so I'm here with Momma!" She pointed at the woman from before who was browsing through a vegetable stand. "Is Fuu-chan going shopping too?"

"Ah, sort of," the elder girl laughed weakly. "I'm more of a 'just looking' mood. Is there something you're looking for Satsuki?"

The child broke out into a wide grin and nodded enthusiastically, almost jumping on the balls of her feet. "Uh-huh! And guess what? Momma says that since I've been a really good girl, I get a present! I'm going to pick it out right now!"

"Oh, that's really great! I'm guessing Satoru doesn't get one because he got into trouble, huh?"

"Yeah. Nii-chan didn't do his chores last week. Momma was mad."

Fuu giggled and Jin scoffed. 'Figures,' he thought to himself. It sounded like something that Mugen would do, and he knew how Mugen-like Satoru was—down to that cocky smirk he always wore. Jin silently prayed that when the boy grew older he didn't plan a career in piracy.

"Did you have anything in mind for what you want?" Fuu's voice brought him out of his thoughts. The samurai looked down at the child who nodded once more and began tugging on Fuu's sleeve, urging her to follow.

"Come with me! I want to show you what it is!"

The elder girl was practically dragged throughout the marketplace by an eager Satsuki while a silent Jin followed from behind, wondering if it bothered Fuu to walk with her back bent slightly in order to let Satsuki take her by the hand. He was vaguely reminded of all the times she herself would grasp onto the loose sleeve of his kimono when she was scared or simply when they were just walking in peace.

He used to be so annoyed at first when she did so, but now that he thought about it, he quite missed the feel of her constant nearness to him.

"Here it is," Satsuki announced proudly. Jin looked up to see that they were at a shop that sold various trinkets and antiques. There were finely painted vases in the store and pretty wind chimes hanging from the door and windows. Necklaces of jade, gold, and bronze as well as beads, bracelets, and clips were displayed at the tables.

But both of the girl's attentions were focused on a single shelf, which had a row of perfectly painted and exquisite looking porcelain dolls. Next to him, Jin could hear Fuu let out an audible gasp when she had laid eyes on them, one particular one that is. Her fingers coming up to trace the make-up and paint on the delicate smooth porcelain of the doll's features. She smiled and silently admired the handiwork of the little kimono that the doll was dressed, decorated with golden embroidery of flowers and designs. Slowly, she turned hazel eyes to young Satsuki.

"Suki-chan…it's gorgeous. But can your mother afford it?"

"Uh-huh. She's been saving for me for a long time, and I've been helping out with her too!" She said matter-of-factly.

"Can I help you lovely young ladies?" A short old elderly woman with a kind twinkle in her eyes appeared from behind the shop's flap door.

"Ah, well I—"

"Yes! I want to buy _that _doll! My mommy's buying it for me!" Satsuki cut in Fuu's stumbled words and jumped up and down excitedly. The old woman laughed and took the said porcelain doll off of the shelf.

"Ah yes, a fine choice. She's the prettiest of the bunch, just like you dear."

The child beamed at the compliment and Jin nearly smiled at her easy-to-please attitude. His dark eyes flickered over to Fuu, and noticed she looked on with an expression akin to sadness. But it was quickly gone when the old woman with the doll in her hands turned to them, smiling.

"Your daughter is simply adorable," she laughed. "Would you like to put the doll in a box…"

"Oh! No, she's not _our,_" Fuu blushed a light shade of pink and shook her head. "I mean _I'm _not her—"

"Satsuki? There you are," the woman from earlier approached them and took the child by the hand. "I thought I told you to wait for me," she said sternly.

"Sorry Momma, but I got all excited…"

She turned to Fuu, Jin, and the old woman to bow her apologies. "Gomen, but I am the girl's mother. I'm afraid she's a little impatient to get her doll."

"It's no trouble at all!" The elderly shopkeeper waved it aside, "I thought these two were a bit young to have a six-year-old daughter," she motioned over to where Jin and Fuu stood on the side. The girl adorned a blush that was now a healthy shade of red while Jin stood there with that same stoic mask on his face. "Now then, let's get this doll a new home, okay?"

With that, Satsuki, her mother, and the shopkeeper all went inside to do business, leaving the samurai and girl behind. From the corner of his eye, Jin knew Fuu was still fighting the last of her embarrassment but said nothing. To be honest, he himself felt a lurch somewhere in his stomach when the old woman had mistaken them for being Satsuki's parents.

Guiltily, Jin had played with the idea of it himself in his head before shaking it away and mentally agreeing with Fuu in her denial. He wasn't even sure why the idea reared itself at that moment…

Looking outside at the sun, Jin gave a small sigh and pushed his glasses a bit up the bridge of his nose. "Fuu, I think it's time we went back to the restaurant now," he said gently to the girl. When he received no answer or reaction, he looked over to her she stood.

Fuu seemed to be in a deep trance as she stared at the remaining porcelain dolls on the shelf, her hazel eyes reflecting something that he realized was a deep longing. Then, a bittersweet smile crept upon her lips, and he swore he saw it again…that intangible sadness that made her scream in silence.

"Fuu?" Jin lightly touched her shoulder, causing her to blink a couple of times before returning to her current situation. "Are you alright?"

"H-Hai," she nodded, giving him that smile that he knew was there only for show. "Just thinking… Um, let's get back before the manager fires us." Wordlessly, they exited the antique shop to return to their jobs. But not before Jin saw Fuu giving one last withering glance at the porcelain dolls.

* * *

He waited patiently for her out on the porch, but his fingers that drummed against his crossed arms told a different story. The truth of the matter was, he was quite anxious to know if the medicine actually worked or not. Right now, Fuu was in the kitchen drinking it. It had been a while now, but Jin knew that she also had to prepare the herbs before drinking it.

Almost out of habit, the samurai turned his gaze upwards toward the heavens and it's endless blanket of stars that peppered the sky. Vaguely, he wondered how many of them she had already wished on. They had just come back from lying outside on the fields where Fuu made her next request for the night. This time she asked for sushi…

The stars lost his attention when he heard a "Bleh!" from the kitchen, signaling that Fuu had finally taken her dose. Moments later, she walked sluggishly to where he sat, cross-legged on the porch. He resisted the urge to let an amused smirk play on his lips when he saw the sour look that scrunched her features. It seems that Fuu was right in her prediction that it would taste awful.

"How do you feel?" He questioned. She shot him an indignant look.

"Like I'm gonna puke," she retorted.

"Besides that, any better?"

"Well I just took it, I don't know yet!" Fuu answered, surprised that he even asked her such a question. He gave her his usual "Hn," and averted his gaze. It wasn't as if he was a medical expert or anything, so how was he supposed to know how it worked?

A shuffling sound could be heard, and Jin knew that Fuu had taken her usual spot beside him. It seemed to be a ritual between them now, to set aside time every night to just sit in comfortable silence and simply enjoy each other's company. It made everything else that burdened them less relevant than it really was. It made things less lonely, easier somehow…yet in a way more complicated.

Sometimes she'd talk, and sometimes he'd respond. Most of the time no words were needed. On this particular night though, the silence was thick and tense. Something was weighing heavy on Fuu's mind and Jin wondered what it was that troubled her so.

"Jin?" She started, not meeting his gaze. "If I ask you something, promise me you'll answer it?"

He studied her for a minute, before nodding. "If I can." Jin waited patiently for her to continue, her eyes narrowed in thought as if wondering how exactly how to word her inquiry.

"Well, I want to know…what makes a woman attractive to you?"

_'N-Nani!'_ Jin was a bit taken aback at this. Out of all things that he thought she would ask this was not it. Yet she seemed so perfectly calm about the subject.

"Not just you! Mugen…and men in general," Fuu added, seeing his unease. "What makes a woman attractive?"

Even then he was still rather speechless, and he simply closed his eyes, hoping to give off the impression that he was contemplating an answer—which he was, by the way.

"All I ever seem to do is attract weirdos. I remembered what that one woman told me. She said that young girls like me are cute but in the end, men go for the _real _women. What does that mean exactly?" Fuu tilted her head to the side in thought, in thought, and all Jin could do was let her continue. "Is it the make-up, the poise, their figure? Is it because they have more experience? Bigger boobs?"

Jin swallowed, all of a sudden feeling like a little boy that was discussing sex for the very first time. Still, he kept his cool composure and straightened his glasses. If Fuu was so casual about it, then he would be too.

"It's…all of those things," he began slowly, "but it's not always about physical appearance."

"Then, what else makes a woman attractive if not for her looks?"

Jin thought for a moment, not sure what to say that would unintentionally hurt Fuu. "It depends for each person," he finally said, hoping that she'd drop it at that.

"Well then, what makes a woman attractive to _you, _Jin?" She asked, for the first time that night her hazel eyes met his dark ones. Now he really felt uncomfortable being in the spotlight like this. He wondered why Fuu wanted so badly to know, and why she was so persistent. Still, he had told her that he'd try to answer.

"I'm not really sure myself what I look for in a woman," he said honestly. But Fuu didn't seem content with that, for she tugged on his sleeve.

"That's alright, just tell me about Shino then."

"What?" Jin was definitely surprised that she had brought up the subject so easily. She shrugged when she saw his confusion.

"She meant something to you, right? I mean, I know that she was a prostitute that worked in a brothel so it's a given that she's pretty. But…if you were the type to risk your neck for any girl just because of her looks then you'd probably be in love with every woman you spent with in the brothels," Fuu reasoned. "But Shino was different. She was special," her voice became softer, almost a whisper as her eyes glazed over with a sort of distant look.

"Tell me…what makes Shino beautiful?"

She asked him so earnestly, as if she needed to know that he was once again caught speechless. Jin had never really thought about the reasons why he had felt such a strong connection with Shino. He just did and he had always left it at that. He remembered the first time he met the young woman and everything that followed after. Of course, she had always been attractive to him. She wasn't the most beautiful woman that he had ever seen, but she had a beauty all her own that made her desirous.

Her silent pleas for help were what really drew him. Her soul cried out to him, the pain so evident in her eyes every time she looked at him. She didn't need words to convey what she felt, and he supposed it was in that way that he found speaking with her easier. She was graceful, poised, kind and smart. An adult who knew what it meant to suffer. She knew that in life there were things that had to be done no matter what.

Jin had never realized it before, but perhaps the reason he was so easily drawn to Shino was because there were many things he saw in her that he saw in himself too. True, his feelings now may not be as strong as they used to be when he had first been with Shino, but he still cared about her. Fuu was still waiting patiently for his answer, and he turned to her with a wary smile.

"I suppose it's because I could relate to her better is all," he said simply. He and Shino understood each other because they were alike. Birds of a feather. This seemed to satisfy the girl and she let out a soft "Hmm," before returning her own gaze to the stars.

"I just have one last question," Fuu said after several moments of silence. "Please be honest?"

Jin nodded. Of course, he knew he could never lie to the girl. She trusted him too much. "Alright."

"…Jin, do you think I'm pretty?"

If he was caught off guard before with her earlier questions, Jin was nearly choking when he heard this one. The samurai froze; looking at her with widened eyes, he felt something-warm rise to his cheeks. In all of his years of being alive, Jin had never blushed before in his life. Luckily, it was dark and Fuu looked away as well, a very faint pink of her own on her cheeks.

His mouth tried to form words but nothing came out. Well…he certainly didn't think Fuu was ugly if that was what she was thinking!

"Fuu," he started, his voice trying to sound calm and cool. Jin refused to look at her, for fear of what he might find. "Why all of these questions all of a sudden?"

The girl blushed, as if embarrassed or ashamed that she had even asked him and waved her hands and head quickly. "Ah, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to put you on the spot like that. It's just…" Her voice trailed off, and that distant wistful, yet sad look returned to his eyes and Jin couldn't help but wonder.

"Just…?"

She smiled, tucking a wayward strand of brown hair behind her ear. "I just remembered something today. It's so strange…I hadn't thought about it in years. Anyway it's stupid so…"

Jin wasn't going to let her off the hook that easy. After asking all of those questions, the samurai was at least entitled to know the reasoning behind them. He crossed his arms and looked intently at her, signaling to the girl that he was ready to listen. She sighed, as if hesitating to reveal anything. Her hazel eyes unconsciously sought the stars before she took a deep breath.

"It was after my father left," Fuu began. "When I was little I remember there used to be this group of girls in my village that were really popular. Each of them had a beautiful porcelain doll that they'd all play with everyday. It seemed so much fun just watching them. I always wanted so badly to join in.

"One day, I came up to them and asked if I could play too. They all just stared at me with this weird look on their face. Like I had two heads or something. The oldest girl in the group told me that I couldn't play with them unless I had a doll too.

"I ran home to my mother that night and asked her if she could buy me one. But with my father gone, she had to work day and night just to make ends meet. She couldn't afford something like an expensive porcelain doll. So I decided to make one of my own out of rags, thread, and old kimono scraps that my mother didn't need anymore. It took a couple of days to finish and I even painted its' face and everything. I was so proud of it…"

Fuu's expression turned even more melancholy and Jin could almost swear he saw her eyes shine with tears that refused to fall. "I…remember it like it was yesterday. When I showed them the doll that I had made and asked if I could join in their game, they laughed. Then they told me that I still couldn't play with them."

"…Why?" Jin found himself asking, his dark eyes probing Fuu's form. She let a sordid chuckle escape her lips.

"Kids can be really cruel sometimes," she said bitterly. "I can still hear their voices… _'Only pretty girls with pretty dolls can join.'_" Her voice became shaky as she spoke the words. And suddenly, Jin understood why she seemed so gloomy when they were with Satsuki earlier that day to get the porcelain doll. Why she seemed so unbearably sad when the shopkeeper complimented that Satsuki was beautiful just like her new doll. Jin could tell she wanted to cry, her whole body trembled ever so slightly. He wanted to hold her.

He didn't know why he didn't.

"I cried…all the way home after that. I knew there was no way I could ask my mom for a porcelain doll, so I was stuck with my rag one. So I tried to fix it, make it look better by painting it more, or putting more patterns in its' kimono, or flowers in its' hair. But no matter what I did, it just wasn't as pretty as the real thing.

"Sometimes, I got so frustrated and angry that I would just yell at it. _'You can't be ugly! Be pretty!'_ It's weird…but I thought that if I could change it, make it prettier…somehow, I'd be pretty too." Fuu could no longer keep her voice steady as she pulled up her knees to her chin. Her eyes squeezed shut as if the mere memory of her childhood brought her immense pain…and a lone tear escaped her irises and slid agonizingly slow down her cheek.

And it came so naturally to Jin, to just ignore the protests and confusion that rang throughout his body and allow his arms to wrap around her trembling frame in a gentle embrace. She froze upon contact, but eased seconds later, leaning against him and burying her face into his hoari, breathing in his scent.

All Jin could do was hold on tightly to her, thoughts ran through his mind and his chest tightened. 'She still thinks of herself as that little girl with the rag doll,' Jin thought. She still saw herself as ugly and worthless not just in the eyes of the group of girls, but to everyone. And it still haunted her to this very day.

A gnawing guilt overcame him and he suddenly felt that he had no right to touch her like this. Because when he truly thought about it…he was no better than the children that scorned her. How many times on their journey had he and Mugen left her for some curvaceous woman? When they sneaked away from her in the dead of night to enjoy themselves in the brothels? She had always yelled at them and perhaps hit them for it, and at the time it didn't seem such a big deal; even those little instances where Mugen would call her ugly, just to tease her. But by doing so, they unintentionally reminded her every time of the little ugly rag doll.

Albeit, Mugen had done this many more times than he had, but it didn't even compare to Jin. No, what Jin did was much worse. He remembered when she had told him to leave with Sera in order to help her find her child and he agreed without hesitation. Even though he had known it was a trap on Sera's behalf, he hadn't missed the hint of hurt that Fuu tried to hide. Couldn't believe that after all that they had been through, he would agree to leave her so quickly and easily. She was even more hurt when she knew that Mugen wanted to go with Sera as well…

But the one memory that would forever haunt his mind and plague his conscience, was that one moment where he had told her that he would risk everything to save Shino. His arms tightened their hold on Fuu as he remembered…how she pleaded with him not to go, to stay with her. How he ignored her all the same and said that if he didn't make it back, she should go on her sunflower samurai quest without him.

And the look of absolute betrayal and hurt that reflected in her hazel irises burned forever and a day into his memory as she watched him walk away. God, he couldn't even imagine what that must have been like for her when he had done that. He realized now, how much he had truly damaged her then. By just walking away, he was affirming the very thing that she had tried to prove wrong all her life:

That she was worthless, unwanted, not even important enough to the one person whom she trusted more than anyone else to put her first before anything else. In the end, Jin had always chosen the porcelain doll over the rag one. In the end…she was _ugly_.

And he had made her feel that way… Without knowing or thinking about it, he was the one who made her feel more ugly than anyone else ever did. He _hurt_ her. The only one he had ever sworn to protect. And after everything she had been through too…the men that only want to use her for her body before discarding her like a broken toy, her father that walked out on her life…and now _him. _God…how could he do that to her? At that moment, Jin had never self-loathed as much as he did now and would never forgive himself for what he had done.

He felt her shift slightly in his arms into a more comfortable position, her breathing coming out in a calm, soothing rhythm. Fuu had fallen asleep, leaning against his chest with a peaceful, yet still sad expression on her face. Yet even then, he still couldn't let her go; instead he pulled her closer, as if afraid that she almost wasn't real.

"I'm sorry…" he whispered to her, even though he knew she couldn't hear him. Even though he knew that she'd forgive him no matter what it was that he was apologizing for. He knew…and he felt even worse. She had already forgiven him for it, he thought. She forgave him every time he came back and she only smiled, glad that he was still with her and Mugen before continuing on their journey like it had never happened.

Fuu was still here, leaning on him and confiding in him. She wanted him to stay not because she needed to be saved but because she simply needed his company. Even if she knew that in the end, she'd be left for some porcelain doll.

Jin found himself questioning…how? How in the world could someone such as she exist? Who went through so much more pain than anyone her age should ever have to endure and still _smile_ as if it would all be fine in the end? How could she trust him so completely, even though he had done nothing to deserve it? Even after he hurt her as he did?

'Fuu…' her name resounded in his head, and he felt his body flood with warmth, not sure if it was because of the girl's added body heat or if it was simply the girl. Jin gazed down Fuu, who was now soundly asleep in his arms, feeling something he couldn't recognize but allowed it to engulf him all the same. His hand deftly raised to the pins that held her hair in their bun and pulled them out easily, slowly. He watched in fascination as brown, silken tresses fell onto her shoulders, brushed against his fingers and framed her delicate face.

Without being able to resist, Jin allowed himself the pleasure of running his fingers through her hair, never realizing how soft and wondrous they felt. And her scent…Jin lowered his head and inhaled deeply, reveling in the floral aroma that he'd always recognize to be Fuu. He breathed it in as if he were intoxicated with it, like it was the only air he ever needed.

His stomach lurched again, as it had done many times now since he had been with Fuu. He prays that it's indigestion, something that he ate that didn't agree with him. But the samurai fears that it isn't; that it's something far worse and would soon consume him whole. Consume them both.

In a swift movement, he maneuvered her in his arms and lifted her off the ground to carry her to her room. An incoherent mumble spilled from her lips, and Jin wondered what she dreamt about, if she still dreamed at all. He hoped they were good, hoped that at least in sleep she would be free from the pains of this life. And if she wasn't, he hoped that he would be there to protect her even in sleep.

Jin shook his head slightly, surprised at his own sentimental thoughts. But he found that he couldn't help it. It seemed almost natural to feel these strange things that he knew he shouldn't be feeling when he was with Fuu. As he approached her futon, he kneeled down and tucked her in gently so that he wouldn't wake the girl from her slumber.

A slight frown edged its' way onto the samurai's lips when he spotted blood droplets on her sheets, possibly left from nights where she had her coughing fits. He'd have to wash them soon. Jin allowed his dark eyes to wander back to the girl now curled in her bed, facing him. A few strands of her hair had messily fallen onto her face and without thinking about it, Jin reached out to brush them aside, pleased to find that her skin was warm.

He could have sworn she smiled then.

It was then that Jin realized that Fuu was a lot more like the rag doll than she knew, but not in the way that she thought. True, she wasn't as perfect or flawless as the other porcelain dolls that were so deeply revered. But she was made with the utmost devotion, created in the light of pure innocence and love in every fiber of her rags, dirtied threads and mismatched scraps of kimono cloth.

She had faults and imperfections…she was clumsy, loud, a bit temperamental, and ate more than a proper girl should. Still, all these flaws only added onto what made her Fuu, and she was all the more wonderful with them. She was unique, with a beauty all her own that came from within. And it was because of this fact that made Fuu far more precious than any of the other porcelain dolls—any other woman or geisha, ever was. And she was the only one who didn't see it.

"…Jin, do you think I'm pretty?"

Her words echoed in his mind once more, and he felt that familiar aching take over his entire body. Jin cursed himself a coward for not answering her before. But if he could go back in time to that one moment, he knew exactly what he would say.

"No, Fuu," he whispered to her sleeping form. _You're not pretty at all… _"You're beautiful."

* * *

All of the things I wanted to know, and the pain of knowing

Everything was left undone.

* * *

+End Chapter+

A/N

Ending quote once again from _"Into the Light" _by Maaya Sakamoto.

This was very emotionally draining chapter to write, but it's my absolute favorite out of the story simply because of the Porcelain Doll story. I think everyone at some point in their lives felt ugly or worthless and it's hard to see ourselves as beautiful. That's why I was so attached to the porcelain dolls. It was actually inspired off a scene in a movie called _"Eternal Sunshine in the Spotless Mind" _which is a beautiful movie and I recommend all romantics to watch it.

The line _"You can't be ugly! Be pretty!" _was taken directly from that scene, and I took the concept of the ugly doll and added a lot of things to it. Those of you who have seen this movie know what I'm talking about.

Also, everyone seems to think it isn't going to end happy. Just because I didn't guarantee a happy ending, doesn't mean I guarantee a sad one… (sweat)

Thanks to everyone who reviewed! **Please read and review! **Again, try not to flame, criticism welcome.

Thanks and Ja Ne!


	6. KittyKitty JinJin

**A/N**

Ah, it's been a while since I updated this fic. Well, a bit longer than I usually update it. But I think I deserved a sort of break, seeing as I write about ten pages for each chapter, nonstop and I updated every one or two days… It's tiring.

School started again (nooo! Can't believe I'm a senior already…). I thought this year would be sort of kick-back, but it turns out I'm working harder than ever in my four years of high school… (sob) That, and I sort of dreaded writing this chapter…

**Disclaimer: **Nothing belongs to me except for my dignity…Oh wait, I think I lost that yesterday. Crap.

* * *

**Sweet Nothings**

**By Youkai Yume**

**Chapter 6: Kitty-Kitty Jin-Jin**

They sky was still dark outside when he had arisen. Jin stood by his window and stared outside at the pink tinted heavens for a good measure of time; the brisk morning air alerted his senses from the weariness of sleep. Breathing in deeply, Jin allowed himself the rare pleasure of enjoying the coming dawn.

Still, even the fresh cool breeze did nothing to rid his clouded mind of the dreams that had plagued him the night before. And the night before that, and the night before that… He wasn't sure when they started. Jin had long since given up trying to figure out what she was doing there of all places and why; he only simply lost himself in the knowledge that there was no other place he preferred her to be.

Dreaming was something that occurred very rarely for the samurai, if at all. He wasn't used to seeing them or reading into them, and he didn't think they were ever significant enough to hold his attention. But these dreams were different.

Sometimes he remembered them. Sometimes he didn't. It didn't matter, because when he awoke, he was always left with the same feelings: contentment, peace…emptiness, longing. It was the strangest phenomenon, and Jin hadn't the slightest idea what they meant. But he felt them all the same.

Of course, when he met with her in sleep, she was no different than the real Fuu. She still smiled that smile that he had grown to adore, and laughed that same laugh that he couldn't imagine living without. In every sense, she was real to him. So real, that sometimes Jin even imagined that there was a place in which people went to in slumber to meet with other people. That he was in fact with Fuu, the real Fuu, and that they were both dreaming the same thing.

He never asked her though. It seemed a childish notion, and Jin wasn't known for being childish.

It was always different every time he dreamt. Sometimes, it was the three of them again, walking down an unfamiliar road under an unforgiving sun, with only the sound of growling stomachs and Fuu's rambling to keep them company. Other times he was in some sort of dangerous and dire situation, sword drawn out and body rushing with adrenaline and the silent urge to protect. Mugen would be right on his other side sometimes, that same wild, untamed look about in his eyes. Sometimes he wasn't.

But _she _was always there, clutching onto the loose fabric of his haori while he fought or calling out for them in help; calling out for him.

But it was all the same. In his dreams, he was able to protect her. Save her. In the end, she would always be rescued because he was always the hero in his made-up stories, as cheesy as that sounded. In a way, Jin enjoyed it not because he liked playing the knight in shining armor, but because he would always know beyond a shadow of a doubt that she'd always be safe. He could always keep her safe.

However, the dreams that he found the most pleasant and perhaps even disturbing where plain and simple, having nothing to do with gallant sword fights or daring rescues at all. The ones that he dwelled most on where the ones where he was just…with her. It was the way that he could describe it. Fuu was simply with him, sitting or sometimes lying beside him.

Times when his head was cradled in her lap, occasionally staring at the cloudy sky above but more than once enamored with the girl who played with his loose strands of hair. He'd always close his eyes when she did that…reveling the feel of her delicate fingers running through his midnight tresses, and showing his contentment with a sort of serene smile on his face, a content purr that hummed throughout his chest.

And she'd laugh, giggle perhaps ever so softly and call him her "kitty" endearingly. He didn't mind too much; it was a dream right? Fuu could call him whatever she wanted. His hand would then seek out hers still tangled within his black silken mane, their fingers twining with each other until all he could remember was warmth. The feel of her hand in his always felt more real than anything else.

Guiltily, the samurai enjoyed these moments that only lived in the recesses of his unconscious mind. He felt even more ashamed for not wanting to stop them, but crave them as he did. It caused him to think about her more than he thought was healthy and made him uneasy with the strange ache that it brought whenever he looked at her. And it only grew worse as the days passed. It didn't help that he happened to be living with Fuu as well.

He had never thought, nor felt so strongly as this in his entire lifetime—not even when he was with Shino. And in that sense, Jin almost felt as if he were betraying her, even if he hadn't truly done anything. As guilty as he felt about it however, he couldn't find it within himself to regret.

The room was beginning to get stuffy; he needed to get out of the suddenly suffocating room. He needed to get _her _out of his head.

Almost regretfully, the samurai drew away from the window and looked down at the katana swords that lay sheathed by his futon. One of the sheaths was a bit worn and dirty, and a small crack ran along the side, but Jin couldn't really complain; it had served him well throughout the many years that he had it.

Bending down, he picked them up and his glasses (he felt naked without them), and began to creep as silently as he could out of his room and in the hallways. It had been a while since he had been in any skirmish of some kind that required his sword, so he fancied a good early morning practice before Fuu woke up and they'd head for work.

After all, Jin couldn't possibly let his skills with the blade become rusty. After his travels with Mugen and Fuu, he knew very well that anything can happen, and he had to be prepared to protect Fuu, even if there wasn't any real apparent danger. Still, it brought Jin a bit of comfort that he could keep her safe this way at least…

Besides, if he kept himself busy then his mind would be able to wander to think about…certain things.

When Jin finally reached the back door and stepped out into the field, he let out a long sigh. It really was quite pleasant. His hand came up to grasp the hilt of his sword, feeling the familiar rush of adrenaline as he unsheathed the blade and seeing it gleam in the early rays of light. He had almost forgotten how wondrous it felt to wield it, even if it was only practice.

In graceful and swift movements, Jin displayed a series of sword techniques and skill that only the sky bore witness to that morning. He allowed himself to get lost in the dance that he had created with his sword, and almost lost all awareness of his surroundings until he heard a faint rustling nearby.

The samurai immediately stopped his training, standing completely still as his ears strained to listen. There it was again, a very tiny swishing noise as if someone was walking through the grass. It was coming on the other side of the house… Still holding his sword, Jin moved with utmost silence to where the sound was being produced. Sharp, dark eyes caught a shadowed figure hunched over in front of the house. A burglar perhaps?

With as much stealth as he could muster, Jin cautiously approached the shadowed figure. Whoever it was, they seemed to be so occupied with what they were doing that they didn't even notice his presence in the slightest bit. It wasn't until a soft giggle broke through the silence that Jin allowed his shoulders to relax and his grip on his katana to loosen.

"_Fuu."_

"Ah! Who's there?" She cried, startled and jumping to her feet at once with a panicked look in her eyes.

"Fuu, it's all right," Jin said softly, trying to calm her down. The girl let out a sigh of relief when she recognized his voice and she gazed upon the familiar samurai's face in the meager morning light.

"Oh, Jin…" She laughed weakly. "You scared me! I thought you were a bandit or something…"

"I was about to say the same thing about you," he replied, giving her a small amused smile.

"What are you doing out here so early?" she questioned, tilting her head to the side so that her loose hair fell over her shoulder and kissed the skin of her neck.

"Training," Jin answered simply, his hand going to the hilt of his sword which was now sheathed and in its' usual place beside his hip. "What about you?" he asked, looking her up and down. Her hands and parts of her yukata—particularly the bottom and knees, where dirtied. Even her left cheek and tip of her nose was sporting a muddy smudge, and he resisted the urge to wipe them away with his hands.

Fuu fidgeted on the spot before looking down at the patch of earth in which she was so previously occupied with before. His eyes followed hers and settled upon what lay there. The earth was dug up, and seemingly buried again, as the clumps were messy and popping out of the ground. By Fuu's feet was a bucket of water. Little seeds were littered about, as if they were spilled, and a green pouch lay tipped over, revealing more of the seeds that were pouring out of its' mouth.

"They're sunflower seeds," The girl explained, smiling meekly at the samurai. "You'd think that I'd be sick of them by now, but I guess they'll always be a part of me in some way or another." A dirtied hand swept some of the strands of hair that had somehow fallen over her face, further dirtying her forehead. Jin could only stare at her with an endearing look only reserved for Fuu.

"To be honest, when I first came here, I had also been expecting your house to be surrounded by sunflowers," the samurai admitted. This caused her laugh once more and he resisted the urge to laugh along with her. "How long have you been up planting them?"

"Oh, for a long while now," Fuu mused, her brow furrowed together in thought of how much time exactly she had spent out there. "I woke up before the sun came up and decided to plant them before going to work. I was trying to be quiet so I wouldn't wake you."

Jin mentally sighed…so, she had been here even before he stepped foot out of the house. Once again, the samurai wondered how her mind managed to prod her awake before he did. A complete mystery, considering she used to be the one that overslept the most when they were traveling together—Unless of course he and Mugen (mostly Mugen) were drunk from the night before.

"You really should devote more of your time to resting, Fuu," Jin chided. She shrugged, a content smile playing on her lips.

"I couldn't sleep," she said simply. "Would you like to come and help me with them next time?" Hazel eyes settled once more on the mess of sunflower seeds that were at their feet. "I want…I want to see them bloom," she said softly, wistfully. "A whole sea of sunflowers…I want to see it before…" Her words trailed off, and she averted her gaze to her feet, which was dusty and dark with dirt.

Jin's dark eyes never left her, taking in the sight of her in the morning light that now peaked over the horizons. The golden rays touched her skin, lighting her features. The smudges of dirt and grime on her face and clothes was clearly visible now, strands of her brown hair tangled and messy. The samurai could feel something warm and at the same time painful spread within his body as he looked at her; his words became choked within his throat. He still wasn't able to tell her.

She was absolutely beautiful.

"I want to see it too…" Her eyes fell on him in wide surprise, and he allowed himself the pleasure of drowning in her hazel depths. "I want to see the sunflowers bloom…with you."

Then he looked away as if embarrassed that he had admitted such a thing, refusing to meet her eyes in which he had been so easily lost in earlier. For a moment the morning was still, the sun creeping further and further upon them until night seemed all but a memory.

Behind him, Jin could feel her move closer and closer, and he did not move. Something warm and soft enveloped his hand and held it there gently. He didn't move then either, simply looked down and marveled at their linked hands before settling his calculating gaze on her. An unnamed emotion welled within his chest before he could quell it.

She smiled…the smile that he knew was only meant for him—at least, that was what he believed it to be, and will always believe it to be. "Okay," Fuu whispered, her eyes sparkling with something he couldn't name. "Let's watch the sunflowers bloom."

They stood there for a long time, simply staring at the dug up earth and sunflower seeds. Jin thought about saying a sarcastic remark about how flowers don't bloom overnight but thought better of it. This morning was too beautiful, and he wanted it to last. Even if they were going to be late for work.

She still held his hand in hers, and yet he made no move to hold it back. This wasn't a dream, Jin thought, where he could just twine their fingers together and forget the world. Even though he was perilously close. Even though he shouldn't want such things. Something he couldn't comprehend or grasp was slowly taking over him.

And Jin was afraid.

Fuu must have sensed it, for her grasp on him was reluctantly loosened and he was let go. He missed the warmth already, and for a second, regretted not holding her hand back. "Sorry," she mumbled.

Jin's chest tightened at the thought that he might have hurt her in some way, and berated himself once more for his thoughtlessness. "Why are you sorry?" He was surprised to find that there was no trace of anger or hurt anywhere on her face, and she only blinked at him as if the answer was the most obvious thing in the world.

Then, an amused smirk curved her mouth and she held up both her hands, which were smudged heavily with dirt. The samurai blinked once, not sure what she meant before looking down to his own hand. An involuntary smirk made its way to his lips as he stared at the blackened palm.

Fuu laughed, he listened. And all Jin could really think about was what it might have been like to hold Fuu's hand back. More importantly, he wondered what it would have meant.

* * *

He wasn't sure when she had gotten such a thing, or where she even found it. From the very moment she came home with it bundled in her arms, all he remembered where her incoherent babbles that fell from her lips. They were somewhere in between how adorable and poor it was, and that she couldn't leave it when she found it; to begging and pleading with him if she could keep it.

Jin had only looked down at it in distaste then, his dark eyes meeting its' wide and curious amber. Yet, even in all of its' curiosity, he sensed something familiar about it, as if he and it were alike in someway. And that made him uneasy.

Still, she had looked at him with those pouting lips and large hazel puppy-dog eyes, and he felt as if he were faced with a little child asking her parent for a toy. The samurai only grunted in annoyance then.

"Why are you asking me? It's your house…"

"Yes…" Fuu had mused then, a thoughtful look on her face, "But you live here too. It would be inconsiderate if I didn't ask you what you thought of it."

His lips thinned as he took one more look at it. "It looks far from helpless Fuu," he said stiffly. In fact, the animal was fully-grown.

"_Him,"_ Fuu corrected. "It's a boy," she cooed, snuggling against its gray fur and earning a purr from it. This only caused him to frown further.

"Don't you already have a pet?" Jin asked, recalling a certain small flying squirrel. Come to think of it, he hadn't seen the little thing since departing with Fuu three years ago. The girl had a despondent look on her face while absently stroking the fur of the bundle in her arms.

"Momo-san couldn't live forever," she replied quietly. Jin immediately felt guilty for: one) bringing it up, and two) implying that he didn't want her new…guest, around. "So can I keep him?" Fuu squeaked again, completely losing her saddened look from before and snapping back to her excited bouncing. The samurai almost sighed at her behavior.

But when he got to the bottom of it, he had to admit…he wasn't all too thrilled about Fuu keeping it. He wasn't very good with animals you see… Fuu seemed to gauge his reaction.

"You…don't like him, do you?" She asked, crestfallen. At the sound of her hurt voice, Jin felt the familiar tugging guilt once more and he didn't dare look at her face, for he knew that if he did all of his resolve would crumble.

Too late. He already had and he nearly cursed himself when he saw that Fuu was close to crying as she held onto the creature lovingly, as if the mere thought of parting with it made her incredibly sad. He could already see the light of his defeat, and sighed. He couldn't refuse…she was too happy with it. And Jin, of course, would let her have anything if it made her happy. Since when did he become such a doormat?

"It's not that I don't like him," he began slowly, his usual calm voice straining. Her hazel eyes snapped up to meet his in a brilliant sparkle that made his breath hitch in his throat.

His head declined in a stiff nod. She squealed in delight. Dammit, Fuu was his one, and only weakness. From the corner of his eye, he watched as she cuddled with it as it mewled in pleasure into her chest.

"Did you hear that, Jin-Jin? This is your new home now!"

The samurai nearly choked. His head whipped around and he stared with a sort of silent shock at the girl who was beginning to skip away with her new pet. Had he heard right?

"Jin-Jin…?" He managed to question. Fuu stopped in her tracks, turning around to gaze at him with a sort of mischievously coy look.

"That's its' name, silly!" She smiled as if it was the most obvious thing in the world and kissed the white diamond-shaped mark on its' sleek and furry head. She left the room, with the animal looking over her shoulder and staring with amber eyes at the samurai that it had been named after.

He couldn't help but feel a bit light-headed at this, not sure if she was flattering or mocking him. Jin let out a long sigh and kneeled down at the table. He had a headache. Maybe tea would help.

And that was how Jin-Jin the cat came to be.

Who knows? Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad.

* * *

Over the course of the next few days, Fuu was rarely seen without the company of the cat, and that wasn't an exaggeration. It followed her everywhere like a shadow, and she gladly welcomed it.

It was always by her side when she made breakfast in the morning, staring with wide amber eyes and a swishing tail… It even sat with them at the table when they ate their meals. The damned thing even slept in her bed, and it peeved Jin all the more whenever it was his turn to do laundry to see all the cat hair on the sheets and blankets.

Jin was surprised that Fuu hadn't taken it with her to bathe, and was silently grateful the cats hated water. He wasn't sure why he disliked the cat so much. It wasn't as if it had done anything directly to anger him. He just didn't like it when the darned thing looks at him with those big amber eyes in a sort of lazy stare and gives off the impression of silent mockery and aloof interest. As if knowing that its' mere presence irked him.

The only time that Fuu didn't have the cat was when they went to work. (though the girl had tried to beg with the manager to let her bring it. Thank god he refused.)

When the children first learned of it, they wanted so badly to touch and pet it. To Fuu and Jin's surprise, it coiled away from their little fingers and hid. It let no on come near it. You'd think that it would be an affectionate creature with the way it reveled under Fuu's attentions. But perhaps, that was just it.

It only wanted Fuu to love it, becoming reduced to nothing more than a purring and mewling mass of kitten when she rubbed its' ears or belly. It didn't come too much of a surprise though that it would be protective of its' owner, hissing and glaring at anyone who came close to the girl.

This of course, mainly meant Jin. That was all right with the samurai. He didn't like the cat to begin with.

But the only time that Jin really hated it…and he meant truly and honest to goodness hated the cat was in the evening. The stars would be out and the two of them would lay outside to gaze at them just like always. Except, now a certain feline followed them.

It always seemed that whenever that she was with it, she was lost in her own little world and the samurai was all but forgotten. He knew it was not Fuu's intention to make him feel this way, he couldn't help but resent her new pet just a little bit more for it.

These moments that happened every night, mere breaths that they take when they gaze upon the stars and Fuu would reach for the heavens to find answers while smiling softly at him…these moments belonged to _them_ and solely them. It belonged to _him._ And though it may have been simple and trivial, Jin cherished that little time in which they devoted themselves to the moon that hung overhead.

Between the silence of the night and the rasping of the crickets, Fuu was his for just that moment. Only now…even the small measure of peace that he found with her was being taken away…by a cat. It was stupid and childish, and Jin could go on and on for days about reasons why he found the notion as ridiculous as it was.

But the truth of the matter was…the samurai was jealous. Of a cat. Oh how the mighty have fallen! If Satoru—or worse, Mugen knew about Jin's envy he'd never live it down. What would be worse was if Fuu found out, for he surely wouldn't know what to say. After all, he had a reputation to uphold of being indifferent to his surroundings.

There was one particular time when Fuu herself unnerved him when she was with the cat however. He remembered it clearly in his mind's eye. It had been their day off and Jin, who, despite his own desire to train in his own thoughts, took Fuu up on her offer to take a walk. Of course, Jin-Jin came along and the samurai secretly played the thought of seeing if a cat really had nine lives.

Still, he followed the serenely happy girl until they reached a large oak tree, whose large branches and lush green leaves provided sufficient shade from the sunlight. Jin watched with dark eyes as Fuu took a seat underneath the grand oak, smiling at him to join with the cat still in her arms.

He couldn't explain it, but there was something oddly familiar about this place, as if he had seen it before in another life or time.

Fuu allowed Jin-Jin to curl upon her lap while she cooed to it sweet endearing words while petting it with tenderness and care, and it purred in contentment—loudly enough to annoy the samurai. He sat a short distance away, trying his best to not be bothered by the almost sickeningly sweet scene that they made.

She giggled in amusement at the sounds that it made as she stroked its' shining fur with affectionate care. "My kitty-kitty Jin-Jin," Fuu cooed, her voice a soft whisper.

And it suddenly dawned on him exactly what it was that made this place familiar, made the cat so familiar, and made this very breeze familiar. Slowly, Jin settled his gaze upon the girl, who was still playing idly with its' gray fur. She hummed a sweet tune, and the sound almost melded in perfect harmony with the soft purring that emanated from cat.

It was a tune that he could never quite forget, a tune that has been haunting his dreams for too many nights to count. Suddenly, his eyes were playing tricks on him and in Fuu's lap was not Jin-Jin the cat, but Jin himself. The tingling sensation of her fingers in his silky black hair crept into the back of his mind, and before he could stop himself, Jin felt a shiver run through his spine. She had called him "kitty" in his dream too…

The samurai rubbed his temples slightly shaking the image from his mind and trying took a deep breath, not realizing he had held it in.

"Jin, are you alright?" Dark eyes opened to meet with a concerned Fuu.

"I'm fine, Fuu," he assured her, looking away. "Just a bit of a headache."

Indeed it was a rather bad headache. And his rampaging thoughts weren't helping either. The cat in her lap looked up at him with amber eyes—eyes that seemed to be more knowing than questioning. Was it all just a coincidence? Or was it some sort of sign?

He preferred not to think about it at all and let out a tired sigh. Yet despite all of his efforts, it was the only thing that he could think about for the rest of the day.

* * *

"I'm not coming home with you today."

Jin turned around to look at her and paused in mid-step; his eyebrow raised questioningly. "Oh?"

"I have a few errands to take care of after work," Fuu informed, taking out a little list of things to do and showed it to the samurai. Most of it were things she needed to pick up for either dinner or things that the manager himself had asked her to get.

"I'll come with you," he said, offering to help. Besides, it was a rare occurrence nowadays that he could be anywhere with just Fuu outside of work, and as much as strange as it was, he missed the girl. But she only shook her head.

"No, you need to go home and look after Jin-Jin."

He sighed. Once again, that cat stood in his way. It didn't even have to be present in order to irritate him. "It's a full-grown cat, Fuu. I'm sure that it can take care of itself for a day." Jin was also pretty sure that it had been doing so for a long while before Fuu ever walked into its' life. But he knew saying so would upset Fuu.

"I know…" she frowned, chewing on her nail. "But I'd still feel a lot better if you were there. He might get lonely and worried that I'm not home on time."

Jin's eyebrow twitched. Fuu made it sound like it was her husband rather than her pet cat. "It doesn't even like me."

"Pleeeeease?" The girl begged, and he inwardly groaned as he recognized that familiar pout that she used whenever she wanted something.

"Fine," he grunted softly, not sure if he was annoyed at the fact that her world now practically revolved around Jin-Jin, or the fact that she cared more about the cat's well-being than his company.

"Thank you," Fuu sing-songed, giving him a smile that was both appreciative and apologizing at the same time. "I'll be home soon."

The girl went off in one direction, and for a while Jin just stared after her until reluctantly shuffling his own way to the little house he had come to call home with Fuu. Idle thoughts began run through his mind. Like what Fuu was going to make for dinner that night, if she had taken her medicine yet (they recently just ran out of the good medicine and they're currently trying to save up for more), and how far along she was in her paper cranes.

By the time the samurai had reached the front porch, he realized just how much he worried over her. Surely it must be unhealthy, even if he couldn't help it. A gray lump of fur was stretched out in front of the door and it slowly came to life upon Jin's arrival. Its' ears twitched, and it looked lazily up at Jin with bored amber eyes.

For a few seconds, it was a staring contest between man and feline. It blinked, yawned somewhat and then went slinking off. Where to, Jin couldn't care less. 'See, Fuu?' Jin reprimanded the girl in his mind; 'It doesn't even want to be near me.'

Shrugging the matter off, he sat down with his legs crossed, deciding to spend some time meditating to clear his head of…certain thoughts. He wasn't sure how long he sat there, lost in meditation. At least, trying to get lost in it anyway. No matter how hard he tried, or what he thought of, Fuu would somehow worm her way into them. It was frustrating, and he realized that his face must reflect so, for his eyebrows were knit together, and his jaw was tight.

Sighing, the samurai opened his eyes to the afternoon sun. Fuu wasn't home yet… 'She'll be angry with me if she finds out I didn't feed that cat,' Jin thought. With much hesitance and sighs, he moved slowly to the kitchen to get some leftovers (he was surprised that they even had any) that the girl had been saving for Jin-Jin.

He dumped it into a dish and placed it in its' usual place by the kitchen door, then with a little bit of effort, he clicked his tongue. Fuu had done this many times to call the feline to her; either that or she'd call out for its' name. And Jin refused to do _that. _Despite all of his efforts however, there was neither hide nor hair of it anywhere.

'Ungrateful cat,' The samurai frowned. Oh well, it's the thought that counts, right? Jin-Jin would come and eat when it wants, and when Fuu came home there was no possible way that she could complain about him being neglectful to her pet.

* * *

Dusk had settled by the time the Jin heard her soft footsteps shuffling about in the house. He had been practicing with his sword out back when she returned home. Tucking his trusty blade back in its' worn sheath, Jin made his way into the house only to find Fuu storing the food that she had just bought away. Surprisingly, there were only a few vegetables and a pork bun or two.

"That's it?" He asked, peering over her shoulder and into her basket. "It couldn't have possibly taken you that long just to get this much."

"I know," Fuu shuffled her feet a bit, as if she was nervous about something. "But we have to be careful with our money, remember?"

"We both made enough to get you some medicine—the cheap kind at least," Jin countered.

"Yeah well…I can be frugal once in a while, right?" She huffed, pursing her lips. "Jeez, what a pleasant person you are to come home to!" Her voice was dripping with sarcasm, and Jin resisted the urge to scowl at her for a good while. "Where's Jin-Jin? I'm sure _he'd _be happy to see me."

Now he wanted to scowl even more. Leaving Jin with the rest of the groceries to put away, Fuu began to click her tongue and call for her precious cat in her singsong voice. He tried his best to ignore her, but let's face it…the girl was loud. While he finished up in his brooding manner, Jin couldn't help but feel a bit miffed at the fact that she was so snappy just because he had been concerned about her. Even more so when she comes home and the one person she wanted to see the most was the furball.

He _was _happy to see her; he just didn't purr and nuzzle her to show it is all.

Several moments had passed since Fuu went looking for Jin-Jin, and the samurai was slightly surprised to still hear her calling for it when he left the kitchen.

"Jin?" She shouted.

"Yes?"

"Not you, silly, the cat!" Fuu corrected. "Jin-Jin!" Still nothing. Concern and worry began to cross her hazel eyes. "This is strange, usually he'd come running by now…" She turned to him. "Have you seen him? You were supposed to be looking after the cat."

"It was here when I got home," Jin offered, not bothering to tell her that it had also wandered to someplace that he didn't know. He didn't think it was such a big deal, cats tended to go off by themselves from time to time. Still, she didn't stop her restless fidgeting.

"Where is he now? You don't think Jin-Jin ran away did you?" A look of horror came to her face. "Oh no! What if someone caught him and made him into stew or stuffed him into pork buns? What if he's in the pork buns I just bought!"

She almost made a mad dash for the kitchen before he stopped her.

"Fuu, calm down. It probably went to catch field mice or go exploring for a while. It isn't unusual." The samurai assured her, waving aside her ridiculous notions.

"Y-Your right. I'm probably blowing this all out of proportion." Fuu laughed weakly. "He'll come back soon. I'll just wait for him to come."

And wait for the cat she did. After half-heartedly making dinner for two, in which she hardly touched at all (shocking), Fuu went to sit by the door and wait for a gray cat with a diamond mark on its' forehead to come home. Though she tried to act like it didn't bother her too much, Jin could still tell that she was gravely concerned over her pet.

He would never be able to understand her attachment to it and didn't want to question it. When night fell she still didn't move from her spot, even forgetting to make a wish on a star like she usually did. He stayed beside her the whole time, urging her to go to sleep and that in the morning Jin-Jin would return.

She refused, of course. So he continued to stay by her, just waiting. Once in a while she began to cough.

"Please come inside, Fuu," he told her again, afraid that she might cough up blood.

"I'm fine. I just want to make sure he's safe is all." And they continued to wait.

As Jin sat there, he could feel the guilt gnaw through him and the atmosphere between them tense up. It was too early to tell, but both of them sort of silently knew…

Jin-Jin was gone.

Although the girl said nothing, he could already imagine the blame. She had placed the cat within his care, and under his responsibility. And under his eye it had disappeared, and possibly had worse happen to it. Even if it was highly unlikely he still couldn't stop the guilt. Was she angry? Saddened?

For a moment, Jin felt the urge to apologize, even though he wasn't quite sure what he should be apologizing for, if at all. He couldn't stand the thought of her being mad at him, whether he truly be at fault or not. When the samurai turned to her, he felt a slight pressure fall onto his shoulder.

"Fuu?" His voice was soft and gentle, as it called out her name but she didn't hear it. She had fallen asleep, traces of fatigue and worry lined her face even in her slumber. The guilt returned Jin tenfold. He never thought he would admit it, but he wished for that damn cat around, if only to see Fuu smile.

Gathering the girl into his arms, Jin settled her into her own room and tucked her in for the first time since she had confided in him her childhood filled with porcelain and rag dolls. The circumstances are different this time, and the samurai found himself regretting that it had to be so.

When he stood to leave, her small voice called to him.

"Jin?" She whispered, her eyes not opening.

"Yes, Fuu?"

"He's not coming back, is he?"

If it wasn't back by now, it wouldn't be back ever. She seemed to know this, and so did he. Despite this, he said nothing, only letting the silence lull her back to sleep to ponder over her unanswered question.

Eventually Jin found his way to his room too, not sure if he would even be able to get any sleep that night. And if he did, he feared that Fuu would not meet him in his dreams this time. The moonlight filtered through the dark room, illuminating something sleek and shiny on top of his neatly made futon.

'Strange…' he thought, approaching the bedding. 'That wasn't there this morning.'

Dark eyes widened when he realized what it was. It was finely crafted with firm hard wood that promised durability for years to come. Black and sleek, it reflected his face on its' surface. At the very tail of it was a carved design of a sunflower. Although he wasn't sure if it was fitting for a man, he couldn't help but feel that it was perfect thing for him to have.

On top of it lay a note in writing that he recognized immediately to be Fuu's.

_Wanted to surprise you! I noticed that your sheath is getting pretty worn,_

_so I got you a new one. Don't worry! It didn't cost me too much. _

_I know the owner of the store and he gave me a discount._

_Even let me personalize it! Cool, huh? Don't you dare give it back,_

'_cuz then I'll be really mad! Consider it a "Thank You" present for everything you've done._

_I know I'm not easy to deal with sometimes. Enjoy it._

_--Fuu_

He hadn't realized his hand was trembling until he finished reading the letter. Something clawed and tore at his chest and made him terribly distraught. So this was why she insisted that she go alone. This was why she took so long to run those 'errands.' This was why she came home with only a quarter of groceries in her usually full basket. Although she claimed that it was at a discount, he was sure that the girl paid a pretty penny for it. Money that should have been contributed to her well-being.

Jin touched the sheath with hesitant fingers, then drew back as if it were fire. He couldn't. He didn't deserve to have it. All this time…he had thought that she cared more for the cat than she did him. He had been jealous and perhaps even a little angry with her for it. And here he was standing in front of the very proof of her loyalty and friendship to him.

He was such a fool.

The night was still and quiet. There were no mewls from a cat and no dreams to be had.

In the kitchen, by the door, the bowl of leftover food remained untouched.

**+End Chapter+**

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* * *

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**A/N**

Originally, this chapter was supposed to be much longer, but I think it would be sufficient to stop here. I don't think I have the energy to write more at the moment. (sob) I suppose Jin-Jin the cat was only created last minute, but it's crucial, really! Heh. That, I thought it was a bit early for Fuu and Jin to be gushing out their love for one another, so it fits well.

Thank you all for the wonderful encouragement and reviews. I love getting feedback! (hint, hint)

Hopefully, I'll update Chapter 7 a little quicker.

PLEASE READ AND REVIEW! No flames please. Criticism welcome, blah, blah, blah. You know the drill.

**Thank you, and Ja Ne!**


	7. To the Stars and Back

**A/N**

Thank you for all of your lovely reviews. A few insightful readers were able to catch what I was trying to convey in the last chapter, which makes me very pleased. However, my fic is up for interpretation, and I enjoy hearing all of the reader's theories of what things represent, what they imply, and what it possibly may mean for the outcome. But that's the joy of being an author.

My main goal for Chapter 6 was simply to make the characters more _human _in their relationship with one another. That they aren't perfect and that they both face the flaws that all people have. Does that make any sense? Anyway, I found it amusing that Jin-Jin the cat was both loved and hated among the readers. Haha. It's just a cat… (sweat).

**Warnings: **This chapter contains sexual implications and maybe a touch of lime. Some OOC-ness may or may not occur…but then again, what do you expect when you're in love?

**Disclaimer: **Shinichiro Watanabe owns Samurai Champloo. Samurai Champloo just owns my soul.

* * *

**Sweet Nothings**

**By Youkai Yume**

**Chapter 7: To the Stars and Back**

She had asked him what he wanted for dinner that night. He had replied that he didn't care either way and that anything she made would be fine. Some tempura would be nice though. Weak laughter followed. There wasn't any of that around the house, she commented, the light from here eyes just a bit dimmer when she looked at him before returning to the kitchen.

He had already set the table. Two bowls. One for each of them like always. It felt almost strange that he wasn't setting out an extra one on the floor. But there wasn't a need for it anymore. It was just the two of them again. Just Jin, and Fuu. She had decided on miso soup for them that night and some rice and one fried fish, which they both shared. Then she apologized for not making him tempura.

A half-hearted giggle, an ever-present frown.

Things had practically gone back to normal. If someone were to ever look at the house on top of the hill and the inhabitants that lived there, they could never tell that at one point, a cat lived there with them. Jin-Jin never came back, and Fuu never spoke of it again. She went on just like she did before—going to work, making breakfast and dinner for the both of them, folding paper cranes, and wishing on stars.

But it seemed like she did these things as if they were a chore, because it was what they had done before and made things ordinary. No one seemed to notice. But the samurai certainly did. Her laughter and smiles were tinged with sadness, though she hid it well. He could see it every time she looked at him; Fuu had that same emptiness that he saw on the night that the cat disappeared.

And Jin…he couldn't find it in himself to face Fuu. Unconsciously, he began to avoid her; unable to look her in the eye every time she gazed at him, for the guilt would consume him so. It was his fault she was like this. His entire fault that she was forcing her smiles, pretending that nothing had happened.

There were many times when Jin wondered if Fuu was angry with him. What a foolish thought; of course she was angry with him. Though she had never given any indication of a grudge against his carelessness with her beloved pet, Jin knew that it had to be the case. She might possibly even hate him for it.

His insides ached and twisted at the thought of her looking at him with scorn. It was stupid, and childish, he knew, to even think that she could hate him over something so trivial. It was only a cat, after all. But she had loved it. She had loved that cat so…

Sometimes, he wished that she would just show her frustration instead of smiling at him like that. He wished she would just yell and call him names, tell him he was irresponsible and untrustworthy. If he were Mugen, there was no doubt in his mind that she would do exactly that. At least then he wouldn't feel so bad. At least then he would know how she truly felt and perhaps, after she had vented all of her anger they could be honest with each other again.

He just wanted a chance to apologize to her.

But she didn't throw any tantrum of the sort, and Jin was almost disappointed that she didn't. Fuu continued to smile at him, and there were no traces of anger, bitterness or hate at all. It would have been so much easier if there were.

She had one of her chest pains the other day after they got off from work—the first one she had in a long while. As he put her to bed and told her to rest for the rest of the day, he wondered to himself if it was because of the fact that they no longer had the better medicine, or because Fuu was just suffering from heartache.

"Don't worry, I'm alright," she had assured him when he didn't leave her side. "It's not as bad as it used to be, really. Don't look at me like it's your fault."

He didn't say anything then. He didn't know what to say, in fact. He didn't know why he felt so insecure, or why he couldn't apologize. Even if there wasn't anything to really apologize for. He just wanted forgiveness. The only problem was he knew she already offered it to him. He just couldn't take it.

* * *

Jin had been in the back practicing with his sword when she found him. He turned around to see her face flushed with excitement, yet at the same time she was calm and collected. Her eyes twinkled with something he couldn't quite describe, but they made them a beautiful shade of hazel all the same. She came up to him and called his name softly.

"Jin," Fuu smiled, almost bouncing up to him. "I thought I'd find you back here."

"Fuu?" The samurai tilted his head to the side, not sure why she seemed so happy all of a sudden. "What is it?"

Her fingers closed around the loose fabric of his sleeves and she tugged perhaps a little impatiently. "Come on, I want to show you something."

"Show me something?"

"They won't bite," Fuu giggled.

"_They?"_ the samurai's eyes narrowed suspiciously, which caused her to laugh and tug on his sleeve harder.

"Just come with me, will you?"

So he did. He let her lead him to wherever it was that she so excitedly wanted to go, all the while confused and curious. Jin wanted to suspect something awful, even samurai-torture worthy; knowing the kind of mischievous person Fuu could be at times. But a part of him, the part that adored the innocent look on her face right now, didn't care what it was, as long as she stayed that way.

He blinked once, realizing for the first time since she had begun to drag him by the arm that they were going to someplace familiar. The canopy spread above them like a tattered blanket letting sunlight stream through, leaving patterns of light play across the grass. It was the grand oak tree that Fuu was so fond of; the very same one in which he had dreamed of lying under with Fuu.

"We're here!" She announced. He lifted an eyebrow at her.

"You wanted to show me the tree?"

"No, silly," she laughed, her grip on his sleeve loosened. Fuu took a couple of steps closer to the tree and began to click her tongue. Jin could only stare at her with the same questioning look, not sure where she was going with this. His dark eyes followed hers, which were looking at the base of the tree. Then he realized what it was.

The large trunks concealed a hole that was under the tree. Actually, it looked more like a very small cave. His eyes widened considerably when something crawled out of it, something that made his chest tighten at the sight of its' diamond-shaped mark on its' forehead, gray fur, and glowing amber eyes.

There, in all of its' feline glory, stood Jin-Jin the cat.

Fuu giggled and called to the creature, which immediately stalked over to where she was and purred contently when she began to pet it. All the while, it looked up at Jin with the same knowing look that it had always given him. He could only stare back in shock.

"Fuu…" the samurai whispered.

"I found him the other day when I was lying here. Looks like he didn't run too far," She laughed, continuing to shower the cat with her affections. Jin let out a sigh, not sure if it was relief or disappointment that they had finally found the cat.

So this was what she wanted to show him. "Come on Fuu, let's take it home."

She blinked, standing up to meet his gaze. "We can't do that," Fuu said incredulously, as it the very thought was scandalous. Now it was Jin who was confused.

"Why not? Don't you want it back?"

Her laughter resounded in the afternoon air, almost blending in with the sound of distant wind chimes and leaves. "This isn't want I wanted to show you, Jin!" Fuu averted her eyes back to the cat, and Jin did the same. As if knowing that the two were waiting for it to do something, Jin-Jin began to walk back to the hole under the tree that it had come from. Before entering, it looked back over to the girl and samurai, letting out a soft mewl as if to say 'in here.'

He could feel her fingers once more gripping onto the sleeve of his kimono and wordlessly followed her as she lead him closer and closer to the trunk. When they got there, she tugged and it took the samurai a moment to realize that she wanted him to kneel with her.

And that was when he heard it. The smallest, most faint of mewls. He couldn't take his dark eyes off of the scene before him, his mouth was parted slightly in silent surprise and without looking he knew that Fuu was smiling.

"They're beautiful, aren't they?" She whispered, and this time, Jin could do nothing but nod dumbly back.

"Ah," His voice came out soft and amazed as he continued to stare at the litter of small kittens that were huddled around an adult, tan-colored cat for the promise of milk—Their mother. The thing peered up at the samurai and girl with serene eyes as hazel as Fuu's, not the least bit startled or disturbed by their visit, before leaning down to groom her tiny kittens. Jin-Jin sat beside his mate, almost proudly.

Jin couldn't help but mentally smirk. So this was where it ran off to, the lucky bastard…

Turning his gaze back to the girl beside him, he realized that she was looking at him intensely, as if thinking something extremely important. It made him feel uneasy.

"Jin?" She started, still whispering, as if afraid she would waken the kittens. "I know this is off topic, but…" Hazel eyes dropped to her lap and she bit her lower lip in thought. He waited for her to continue. "I…I noticed that you're still using your…old sheath," she finished, almost so quietly that the samurai had to strain to hear it.

He stiffened at her words, and glanced guiltily down at the cracked black sheath that still held his sword by his hip. Then his mind saw the beautifully crafted sheath that she had given him still sitting in his room, untouched. His words became caught in his throat as he struggled for the words to explain.

"I mean, you don't have to use it if you want to!" Fuu added. "I guess I can understand if you don't like it…I mean the sunflower engraving was pretty girly," a weak laughter followed as she desperately tried to sound as if she honestly didn't care. But Jin knew better…and he hated himself all the more for it.

"No, Fuu," He said, his voice a bit pleading. "It's not that," _It's not that at all. _"I deeply appreciated what you did for me." _It's the most precious thing I own. _"But I didn't think it was appropriate," _I don't deserve your kindness, _"to accept such a gift." _I don't deserve it._

Jin looked away and for a moment, tried to concentrate on the kitten's cries rather than the rapid beating of his heart. She was staring at him; he could feel her eyes on his back.

"Why not?" The question spilled from her lips, hurt.

"Because it was my fault." He was surprised that she even asked him such a thing. Fuu tilted her head, confused.

"What was your fault?"

"The cat was my responsibility and I was careless. It ran away under my watch," Jin confessed, letting his guilt-ridden thoughts finally be revealed since the day Fuu waited all night for her precious pet to return by the front door. She blinked, speechless for a second. He was sure she'd finally yell at him now. Then…

"Yeah, so he could have kittens! Jin, did you think I was mad at you all this time?" She asked incredulously, almost with amusement. He dared to meet with her eyes once more, feeling something so horribly akin to relief and at the same time embarrassment flood his veins.

"Weren't you?"

She laughed, long and hard. "Oh, Jin! Of course I wasn't mad! I mean, sure I was a little down when I found out Jin-Jin ran away. But I was never angry at you for it," Fuu said gently.

"I'm sorry," he said before he could stop himself. She frowned.

"Stop being so hard on yourself. But if you're still worried about it, I forgive you, okay?"

"…Really?" He asked, not quite believing that apologizing to her would be so easy. Fuu closed her eyes, smiling and shaking her head in amusement. Jin made a mental note to use Fuu's gift the minute he got home. He could feel her fingers that were previously on his arm move down, brushing against fabric and skin before enclosing around his hand. She was warm.

"You can be so silly sometimes, Jin," she said simply, sighing. And then she smiled. For the first time in a long while he had finally seen it—the look of pure, undiluted happiness that graced her lips, her eyes, and her voice. Jin never took his eyes off of her; the aching feeling in his chest only grew.

Her hand still held his, so small and fragile…this time he would not let it stay lifeless like the last time. Before he knew it his own fingers twined and curled around her own, fitting them together perfectly. It wasn't anything like his dream. He couldn't describe with words how the one single act enveloped him with pain, longing, and sweet bliss all at once.

Even though Jin had never truly been in love before, he knew then that he loved Fuu.

There were no fireworks or sudden dawning light of epiphany. Angels didn't sing, and the clouds didn't suddenly part with streams of sunshine and gold. Jin didn't feel any different. The only thing that changed was that now the nameless emotion that had been plaguing him wasn't so nameless anymore.

Their legs began to ache from kneeling so long, his hakama and her kimono were getting dirtied from the ground, and the kittens were now awake and almost obnoxiously loud in their pleas for attention. And Jin found himself wanting the moment to last.

A light pressure was on his shoulder, and Jin looked down to see a content Fuu leaning on him, giggling as she observed the litter of kittens as they began to play. The scent of her hair was sweet and calming in the afternoon breeze and he found himself smiling as well, his hand tightening around hers. He closed his eyes, savoring her closeness.

"Let's name them," Fuu's voice broke through his thoughts suddenly, and he opened his eyes to once again peer down at the girl, then at the cats.

"All of them?" Jin inquired, eyeing the newborns curiously. "Now?

"Why not? They can't go around without any names now, can they? Now let's see…" Her eyebrows knit together in thought as she contemplated suitable names for the kittens. "C'mon! Help me, Jin," Fuu nudged, and the samurai could only smile endearingly at her.

Dark, calculating depths didn't settle on any of the little ones, but instead on their mother. Its' large, hazel eyes gazed at him, watching and waiting. 'She must not have a name either,' Jin thought, and at that moment, he knew that she was the only cat he wanted to name. And he knew exactly what he wanted to call her.

'_Fuu-Fuu.'_

_

* * *

_

They walked back home in silence as the sun began to set and dusk settled in. All the while his hand never left hers. The air had grown cold and bit at their skin; it would be autumn soon. She shivered slightly, and he could feel her fingers getting cold in his grasp. He held onto her tighter in a meager attempt to keep her warm. He admittedly warmed himself when he felt her squeeze back in return.

In an endearingly childish way, Fuu began to swing their joined hands back and forth between them and began to hum sweetly. "Sing along with me, Jin!"

"No thank you," he replied, causing her to stick out her tongue playfully. Dark eyes watched transfixed as it darted from her mouth and then back, moistening her pink lips and tempting his will. Holding her hand suddenly wasn't enough.

The first stars began to appear in the darkened sky slightly tinted with the last pinks of the sun. Jin felt a bit of a tug and realized that Fuu had stopped completely in her tracks and gazed at them above her. "I want to make my wish now," she said softly, smiling. "And this time, it's not food."

'What a surprise,' Jin chuckled inwardly before nodding, waiting for her to declare her heart's desire for the night. Fuu inhaled and closed her eyes, much like the first time that he had seen her wish on a star, and with a voice one wouldn't usually expect to be so loud for one so small, she yelled:

"I WISH FOR JIN-JIN AND HIS NEW FAMILY TO LIVE HAPPILY EVER AFTER!"

And as her words echoed into the night and the wind began to pick up, Jin wanted for a brief moment to be as open and daring as Fuu. To be free of walls and strings that kept emotions locked away like Fuu. He wanted to be able to tell the stars what he wanted without regret, without hesitation or fear. He wanted so badly these things that he had never wanted before.

The samurai hardly ate that night; too deep in his own thoughts, he gave the girl his helping when she asked him if he was going to finish it. And when it was time for them to blow out the candles and fall into sleep, he tucked her into bed and she smiled gently in return.

"I'll remember today," Fuu commented, running nimble fingers through her soft brown locks. Silently, he knew that he would too. The candlelight made her glow ethereal and her scent made him grow weak with longing. As he lay her down upon warm sheets and pillows, his hand found its' way against her cheek. He could feel her warmth and innocent eyes on him.

And in that fleeting moment, Jin imagined her to be his and not Death's. He imagined her dressed in silken white with flowers in her hair, and he imagined her moaning and passionate beneath him. He imagined her heavy with his child and he imagined growing old and happy with her. God, help him, he knew it to be foolish and nothing but a hopeless folly. It hurt him just to think of it, but he couldn't stop.

He imagined them in love.

When he withdrew from her, Fuu had a pretty blush on her pale cheeks and she gazed up at him with shy and confused hazel irises. He clenched the hand that so dared to touch her while she brushed the very place he touched with her fingertips. Jin wondered if she missed the warmth too.

"Good-night," was all Jin could manage before leaving her with quickened pulse and voiceless words. He didn't know why he let himself do what he did, but didn't care.

"Good-night," he heard her whisper back before he left and saw her smiling out of the corner of his eye.

* * *

Jin had always been a man who was ready to accept fate and what had been given him, may it be good or bad. When his parents died and his clan, the Takedas sent him to live in the dojo he accepted it. When he was hated and hunted down by his very own fellow students over an act that only he alone would deem honorable, he accepted it. When he somehow got wound up with Fuu and Mugen in an endless search for a mysterious Sunflower Samurai he accepted it.

Even when Shino was drifting away from him on that little boat with tears running down her cheeks, he accepted it.

But this…Jin didn't want to accept this at all.

The stars still shown brightly overhead, embedded in the vast blanket that was the midnight sky. As he gazed upon them, he felt an ache that was painful beyond any physical wound he had endured before take over his body. For the first time, he wondered if there really was some great being that watched the world from its' high perch in the clouds. If there was, perhaps it was mocking him in his silent plight right now, laughing at him for trying to save a girl that could not be saved.

Or perhaps it pitied him for falling in love with a girl that could not be his.

Jin cursed himself. How could he have allowed himself to fall so far? He had been prepared. To do all that he could for Fuu and simply be glad to have known her. It was life. It had to be done. But he hadn't been careful enough…

He allowed himself to get closer than he should, cared for her more than was safe. And now, he was in a situation in which the only outcome was loss. If Jin knew how to cry, he swore he would have done so then and there. He mourned for the past, and he mourned for the future.

Had he not been so blind in the past and allowed himself to love Fuu sooner, would they have lost so much time? Would Fuu still be dying and pale and weak? Or would she be vibrant and laugh and dance in the fields as if she had all the time and life in the world? Even though the samurai knew his thoughts were impossible and that it wouldn't have mattered anyway because her illness was a result of family blood, he couldn't help but dwell on his "could-have-been's" and "what-if's."

And he feared for what lay beyond tomorrow. He knew it may not be the next dawn, or even the dawn after that, but eventually, he knew the day would come when he awoke and there would be no more sounds of laughter or humming melodies that sang of seasons and dreams. The house would one day be empty and cold, left with nothing but a lingering scent that told the story of a girl who loved food and gambling, and a field full of sunflowers that bloomed all but too late.

He imagined what it would have been like if the last smile he had seen her with was the one she gave him just moments ago before he left her to her dreams and sleep, and he found that he didn't want to imagine such things anymore. Hell would have been a more forgiving place.

The samurai finally understood why Mugen hadn't stayed. Despite the pirate's rough and callous exterior, he was a smart man. He was also intense and passionate in anything he put his mind to, and doesn't bother in matters when he knows there is nothing he can do to help. Mugen was a paradox, and Jin had known that from the very moment he laid eyes on his gangly figure.

Fuu couldn't be saved, and Mugen knew. He had known and couldn't stand it…couldn't bear to see her suffer. And Mugen could not stand by and watch her die. So he left. Maybe he had foreseen, and avoided befalling the same fate that Jin did—for once, he had a smart (albeit selfish) move. Or maybe Jin was just giving the man too much credit. In the end however, Mugen had known that there was nothing could be done, and there was no point in staying. Fuu understood, and Mugen understood. He also understood that Jin couldn't save her either, but perhaps the pirate hoped that he could.

Perhaps that was why he had told the samurai to come to her when he did. Jin didn't know whether to run his sword through Mugen or thank him for that.

Jin's dark eyes lifted; starlight and moonshine were caught in them. Words rose and choked in his throat, wanting to come out, but at the same time not knowing how. And Jin, who had never been a daydreaming, hopeful child or a religious man a day in his life began to pray. To the heavens, to God, to the stars…to whomever might be listening.

"Please…" His voice came out in a desperate whisper, "Just let me keep her a little longer. I don't care if it's for a year, months, or even one more day," the words continued to spill, without thought, without sense. He didn't care if he was being selfish or greedy or even foolish. He just wished. Oh, how he just wished…

And he thought of Fuu with her warm smiles and sparkling hazel eyes, and wanted to see them always. He thought of Jin-Jin the cat and its' happily ever after and wanted one for himself. He thought of Fuu's small hand that fit perfectly with his and he just wished…

"Let me keep her. I wish to just keep her…just a little while longer."

The stars glimmered brilliant and dull, silent and unwavering as if there was only one answer to give; yet at the same time there were no answers at all. Not that Jin expected one in the first place.

"_They're just like you!"_ he imagined Fuu would say if she were beside him right now. And even though at the moment, it felt like the unbearable yearning inside of him would surely swallow him up and eventually kill him, he couldn't help but let a bittersweet smile grace his lips at the thought.

* * *

She had been in there too long. The samurai stood staring with a scrutinizing look at the shoji door through narrowed eyes and half-rimmed spectacles. He debated whether or not to just open the door and see just what it was that she was doing, or minding his own business and calmly walk down the hallway.

Usually, Fuu wouldn't spend so much time in the paper-crane room. But today, the girl had gone straight to it right after supper and hadn't come out for several hours. Jin began to grow worried, hence why he was now staring intensely at the door in which he knew she was on the other side.

His hand deftly went up to politely tap before entering, but before his knuckles got the chance to rap on the wooden frame, her soft voice called out to him.

"You don't have to stand there all day you know. Come on in, Jin."

The shoji door slid open, revealing a rather uncomfortable samurai. He cleared his throat a bit; Fuu had developed a sort of sixth sense for detecting whenever he was near or troubled, and he, the same for her. Should he be bothered that someone knew him so well? Jin stepped inside and decided that if it was Fuu, he didn't quite mind and perhaps even reveled in this small indication of their close relationship.

His eyes scanned the room. There were a great deal more paper cranes than he last remembered, which was when he had revealed to her that he had added onto her collection, bringing it to a total of seven hundred and ten. The room had considerably gotten fuller since then, and Jin wondered just how close Fuu was to completing her goal.

Finally, dark eyes rested on the girl that sat by the door that led to the porch. She was completely still, not even looking up when he went to stand behind her. Instead, Fuu was entirely focused with the piece of paper in her palm.

"Fuu?" Jin questioned tentatively.

"Guess how many there are now," her soft voice spoke. Although she sounded calm and composed, he felt the shift in her demeanor. Jin frowned.

"Are you finished?" He allowed himself the possibility that she had truly reached one thousand cranes and held his breath. It was quickly released when he saw her shake her head slowly.

"This is my nine hundred and ninety-ninth one." Her fingers lifted the origami so that he could see; her voice was shaky. Jin looked at it for a long time, with calculating eyes, not sure why she didn't sound happier at the prospect of reaching a thousand cranes.

"Ah," he answered, nodding before reaching for a piece of colored paper on the ground. "Only one more to go then," and then, he began folding. The sound of paper being creased and shaped into a crane was the only sound that resounded in the room.

Before he could finish however, Fuu had stood up and turned to face him with a wild look of panic in her eyes and snatched the half-completed paper crane from Jin's fingers. "NO!" She cried, and in mere seconds, she had crumpled and ripped it up with almost violent abandon.

The scraps of colored paper fluttered and lay scattered at their feet. Jin could only stare at them in mixed shock and confusion. "Fuu…why did you—"

"Because I don't want you to leave me!" A sharp gasp emitted from her throat and she quickly clapped a hand over her mouth, hazel eyes wide with shock and horror at what she had just blurted out. The samurai couldn't move, only gazed back with wide dark eyes and slowly, slowly he began to remember that cold night. He remembered the promise he had made not to leave her until she reached one thousand cranes and he understood.

Yet, at the same time, he couldn't quite believe what he was hearing.

"What did you just…"

"Nothing," She flushed, and began pacing towards the door. "Forget I said anything!" But his hand shot out to grasp hers, not letting the girl escape and she let out a distressed cry. "Don't touch me!" Fuu shouted and yanked her wrist out of Jin's grip.

To say that this one action hurt him more deeply than anything else he had ever felt was an understatement. Fuu didn't bolt through the door like he thought she would. No, she was still standing before him, with a look in her eyes that spoke of anger, frustration, and aching sadness.

"Don't touch me…" she whispered again, her form trembling. "Don't…because if you do…if you do, I won't be able to stop needing you."

Something inside of him twisted, and his breath became caught in his throat. His mouth opened to say something, but nothing came out.

"Why? Why, Jin? Why?" Fuu continued, close to crying. "I was ready…I had been so ready to accept my fate. I was ready to die without any regrets. But then you came. And you just had to the right thing, didn't you? You just had to come back, and make everything so much harder." Her voice was becoming cracked, the tears forming from the corners of her eyes.

Jin wanted to reach out and wipe them away before they could fall. But he refrained, remembering her request for no contact.

"And when you're with me…I don't want to die. It's not fair! It's not fair! How can you do this to me? It's not fair!"

_It's not fair._

Not for the first time, Jin felt the full impact of those words and felt like a part of him was dying with her. Life had never been fair, and perhaps it was just cruel, cruel fate that they were standing here like this, tortured and craving for something to fill the empty chasm that resided within them. "Fuu…" he whispered, reaching out to touch her cheek, droplets of her tears falling into his palm.

She didn't shy away from him this time, and Jin didn't want to fight the suddenly burning need to just hold her. And now…now Jin marveled at how even more impossible, yet at the same time, right that she felt in his arms. Fuu's fingers clutched onto the front of his haori as she continued to cry. The tears bled through the cloth, burning his skin, tearing his heart.

"I'm so ashamed…" He could still hear her whisper, her voice hushed, "I'm so ashamed of my weakness. But still, even so…even if it was only once…even if it was a lie…" Fuu drew back, hazel eyes misty with sorrow and something he couldn't describe, "I wanted to believe that someone could love me."

And for all of Jin's training and discipline to control his emotions, the samurai could not stop them from flooding throughout his entire being like water through a broken dam. He couldn't stop himself from leaning down and kissing away those tears that ran so persistently down her cheeks; her sorrow in tangible form. And he was powerless to stop himself from letting her name spill from his lips over and over again until it became sacred and holy.

"_Fuu."_

His lips kissed her forehead, graced her eyelids and caressed each cheek. "I love you…" His voice whispered in a voice so husky and passionate he wasn't sure that it belonged to him at all. Fuu shivered and let out a small whimper at his words, and continued to cry. She may not believe him, but she may not care. She just let him love her.

Jin wanted to scream at her, to show her in every way a man could show a woman that he spoke only the truth. When he touched his lips to hers, he swore it was bliss. She tasted like tea and honey and he drank her in like he was intoxicated with her. He knew that he was.

"Jin…" Fuu gasped when he released her pink and swollen lips to plant tender butterfly kisses down her throat, whispering sweet nothings into her ear and neck. His breath was warm, and his touch ignited fire. Between the haze of love and lust, his hand went up to unbind dark brown locks so to allow his fingertips the pleasure of running through them.

He breathed in her scent, and knew that he was irrevocably addicted to it. Strong arms crushed the small girl to the samurai's own lean and muscular body, wondering how much more wondrous the feeling would be if there had been no layers of clothes to hide each other from.

"A dream. I must be dreaming," Fuu said breathlessly, growing weaker by the second as Jin kissed her with hopeless abandon, his senses lost and his desire blinding.

"It's not a dream," he moaned, feeling her small, delicate hands slip between his kimono and touching skin that felt like they were on fire. A sharp hiss escaped the samurai's lips, his hands moved to grasp the obi that bound her clothes. 'Please don't let this be a dream,' Jin found himself pleading, the fluttering sound of fabric falling onto the origami scattered floor.

"N-No…don't look," Fuu whimpered, arms clutching tightly onto her pink kimono rob that now hung loosely on her frame.

"Shhhh, You're beautiful, Fuu."

"Now I know you're lying." She wanted to cry again.

"You're beautiful. Beautiful."

_Please believe me when I say, 'I love you.'_

Eventually gentle hands pried hers away and delicate fabric and threads slid inch by inch down moonlit curves. The paper cranes overhead were the only ones to bear witness to the samurai that slowly moved his precious love across the room and out the door. Moans and whispers echoed throughout the hallway, gracing the silence that befell on the night. The sound of falling fabric and stumbled steps followed after, leaving a trail of clothes in their wake until skin met skin.

His glasses clattered on the floor loudly, and for a moment, Jin wondered if they had broken or not. But then he felt her soft lips on his eyelids and didn't care.

"I like the color of your eyes," She whispered, fingers caressing his face. He let out a shuddering breath, claiming her in a kiss that spoke of all that he felt for her in such desperate tenderness that she was left gasping and clinging onto him like he was all that mattered.

As he lay her down upon silken sheets and soft futon, and her eyes met with his, trusting and heavily laced with lust and, he even dared to hope, love, Jin decided with fierce resolve that he would never regret this night, nor would he forget it. He'd make sure that she wouldn't either.

His hands moved slowly, almost shyly against her heated body, as if afraid that she would break, and she'd whisper and moan his name in a way that he knew only she could say it.

"It's a dream. It's a dream."

And he loved her with his body, trying to prove to her that it was not a lie. They weren't dreaming. They really were trapped in between heaven and hell. Groaning and gasping, his breath panted over flushed skin, her lips kissing his sweat-slick shoulder.

Somewhere along the way, his hair had become undone and spilled in dark cascades over his shoulder and back, clinging onto his glistening skin and neck, and tickling her bared flesh.

"Oh Jin…" Fuu moaned softly, "Please don't stop."

'_Never,' _Jin thought as he gazed down in complete devotion at her face—a perfect mixture of pleasure and pain. 'I'll never stop…'

As the night wore on and their cries of love melded with the rasping of the crickets and gentle winds that blew outside, Jin took her to the stars and back, so that she may wish on as many as her heart desired. Neither one thought about what lay for them come morning, if there even was a morning that awaited them. But they didn't care. They only loved.

* * *

_Even though I should want to wish for you to find happiness,_

_Even as I wipe away the tears,_

_They keep flowing because I'm immature._

_

* * *

_

**+End Chapter+**

**A/N**

I hope this didn't come off as rushed. Personally, I didn't feel like it was, but if some of you feel that it is, I'm sorry. If you want to know the truth, this was all supposed to happen a lot sooner, but I thought it was too rushed and added in "Kitty-Kitty Jin-Jin" as filler. So technically…love confessions were overdue. Haha. But it worked out in the end, right? (crosses fingers)

Don't worry! There's still more to come!

The ending quote is once more from Maaya Sakamoto's _"Into the Light." _Someone asked me where find it. You can find this song on her CD, called "Hotch Potch" or the "Escaflowne" soundtrack.

A little side note… to one of my readers, I seem to give you the impression that someone flamed me. When I write my usual ending my notes, and say "No flames please," I am just asking for…well, no flames. I welcome criticism but I abhor people who leave letters of hate without telling me what I can do to improve my writing.

That said, I have yet to be flamed on this fic, so I'm sorry if I concerned you or anyone on this matter. But you're sweet for offering to kill any who oppose me (laughs).

Thank you all for the wonderful reviews. **Please read and review **(again) and I will be one happy author. (smiles)

**Thanks and Ja Ne!**


	8. When Fools Love

**A/N**

It's been a while, hasn't it? Ahhh…sorry for the late update. It's College application season, and there's much crap to be done. I'm surprised I didn't die of stress yet, let alone find enough time to write. Anyway! Thanks so much for all of the reviews! I'm glad that everything turned out to be just right.

I also had a lot of suggestions for ending quotes from songs for the last chapter, which really surprised me in the fact that a lot of them did match the mood of Chapter 7 quite well.

It seems that everyone has resigned to a sad ending. Do I really make it seem so bleak and hopeless that there are no chances for happiness? Honestly…

**Warnings: **Sexual implications, and**_ Lime_** (In my opinion, it's far too soft and sugar-coated to be called a lemon, but for those of you who are skittish… don't say I didn't warn you).

**Disclaimer: **Samurai Champloo doesn't belong to me. I use it for my own sick pleasure, thank you.

**

* * *

**

**Sweet Nothings****  
**

**By Youkai Yume**

**Chapter 8: When Fools Love**

Jin had a knack for remembering the little details. His sensei had told him that once while they were in the midst of a shogi game. It had also served him well when assessing his enemies in battle. So of course, he easily remembered the way her dark hair would fall over her shoulder whenever he pressed his lips against the nape of her neck, or the way she was slightly ticklish if he kissed her stomach. He memorized every curve and plane of her body, every moan that ever fell from her lips, and recalled every instant that she gazed back at him through half-lidded hazel eyes and smiled.

He also discovered that Fuu liked to play with his hair, especially when it's slightly damp after their lovemaking. She tended to get hungry after their intense sessions so she keeps a stash of fruits in her room and he quite liked hand-feeding them to her, and vice versa…it ignited other…hungers. She also had a little birthmark on her lower back shaped like a butterfly. She said it looked more like a deformed clover…he said that perhaps it did, if he squinted hard enough.

The samurai also found out many things about himself that he hadn't known before when he was with Fuu. For example, he found out that he had a spot right behind his ear that rendered him completely helpless if she kissed it the right way; or that for a man usually so silent, he was ironically quite vocal in bed. Fuu told him she didn't mind though; she loved the sound of his voice.

But as many times as he learned new things about his lover, Jin knew that there was a part of her that still believed it all to be a dream. He could see it in the way she touched him sometimes, as if afraid that he might disappear at her fingertips like a reflection on water.

"Do you love me?" She had asked him one day; the sunlight playing over their bodies—sweat-slick skin that had become exposed from the fall of their kimonos. Jin sat propped against the wall of the main room; his breathing heavy and his dark eyes never leaving her as she rested against his bare chest, listening to his heart beat. His hand instinctively went up to stroke her locks, traveling lazily down her neck and back sensually.

"That's a silly question, Fuu," He reprimanded her, kissing her forehead tenderly and playing with the fabric of her kimono that hung loosely off her shoulder. She became silent, tracing patterns on his skin and tickling his flesh as her eyelashes fluttered against his chest.

"You can't be in love with me," Fuu finally said, her voice empty. Jin stopped his gentle touches and drew back to look at her incredulously.

"How can you say that?"

"No one falls in love with me. There's no point to it."

"Are you saying that I'm a liar?" Jin asked, dark eyes narrowing.

"I never said that."

"I don't lie."

"I know."

"But you still don't believe me."

"…"

Jin's lips thinned, and he tried to suppress the twisting feeling that spread throughout his entire body at her silence, which seemed to be deafening at the moment. His strong arms wrapped around her frame, which now shivered slightly from the autumn wind that blew in from the porch. Kisses rained down upon her face and neck, down to the curve of her breast in heated fervor.

Her mouth fell open in a silent moan; hazel eyes glittering with unshed tears.

"I don't know what to do," Jin whispered desperately against her skin. "What will it take to prove to you that I love you?" Their lips met hungrily, passionately. "Fuu, tell me… I'll do anything. Anything." And as he began to move beneath her, within her, she'd let her tears fall and his name escape her breathlessly.

"Jin…Please…"

"Fuu," He groaned loudly, intoxicated with her scent and moans that grew steadily louder. Jin was sure that had they any neighbors, they would have gotten quite a few complaints by now. "I love you. I love you," the samurai confessed, over and over again.

And she may not believe him today either, but that was okay. Jin was a very patient man. He'd try again tomorrow, or the day after; weeks and months, even years from now. He'd try to prove his love for her for as long as it took for her to believe him. Afterwards, he would hold her close, kiss away her tears and whisper…always would he whisper those sweet nothings in her ear, against her neck, into her hair. Words that allowed her to dream and live and love.

Though it may never be enough for him, for her, for either of them…they were content with what little they had. She may never tell him that she loves him, but he already knows that she does. And he may never tell her that he prays to the stars every night to keep her for just one more day, but he suspects that she already knows that he does.

"I still think it looks more like a butterfly."

"And I think you need _real _glasses."

* * *

"This blows, why can't I have a real sword like yours?" 

"Because it's too heavy, and you're not ready for one."

Colored leaves fluttered all around them and Jin swatted one away from his face in annoyance. He could be doing better things with his break than trying to teach one very stubborn eleven-year-old boy how to hold a wooden sword correctly. Jin wasn't sure when Sotaru had decided that he wanted to be a samurai but it did surprise him when the boy came up to him one day and demanded him to teach.

"If you're as great as Fuu makes you out to be in her crazy stories, then you'll do it!" He had declared.

Needless to say, Jin was very tempted to just flat out say no and walk away, but Sotaru was a very persistent (and insulting boy). Besides, he had a reputation to uphold, and much to his own annoyance, the little brat had quite grown on him. He was far from being a proper teacher though, so far only been able to give him snippets of lessons when he went on his breaks, or sometimes after work—which he didn't like to do much, because it meant time away from Fuu.

To say that Sotaru was an incompetent student was a lie. On the contrary, the boy learned very quickly, which pleased Jin. But he was also very stubborn and lacked discipline—which less than pleased Jin. He could only be thankful that as much as his personality resembled a Mugen, his fighting style didn't fall anywhere near the strange monkey-like moves that the pirate fashioned.

"I'm ready for a real blade already! All this basic stuff is boring!" Satoru complained.

Jin resisted the urge to sigh long and hard. "So far, the only thing we've really done is practice stance, swings, and basic moves, which you're still a bit sloppy on."

"Hey!"

"You'll need to master your wooden sword before we move on. You'll find that wielding a Katana is not the same as wielding a bamboo sword."

A groan followed.

"You're getting better though," Jin admitted. This seemed to please the boy, for he flustered a bit at the compliment before turning away with a scowl and scoffed, arms crossed firmly over his chest.

"Whatever."

A comfortable silence fell between them. Jin checked the sun, gauging the time he had left before he had to return to the restaurant. Fuu probably ate lunch without him. Perhaps she saved him some of her soba noodles…then again, maybe not.

"I heard," Sotaru's voice interrupted his thoughts and he turned to look at the young boy. "That someone who teaches the martial arts…or sword techniques is called 'Shishou'," he said.

"That is true," Jin mused.

"Does that make you one then?"

The samurai scoffed. "Hardly," he pushed his glasses further up the bridge of his nose. He remembered his own master. Now he was a Shishou. He had such great respect for the man, even after his betrayal, Jin still revered him and his teachings. And with that in mind, Jin knew he was far from the title. "I don't think I'd make a very good Shishou if I were," he admitted.

Sotaru seemed to ponder a bit, his eyebrows knitted together in thought and his tongue clicked. "Well, you wouldn't be the greatest," he said haughtily, and Jin felt a bit offended at the way he said it—even though he himself had admitted to the same thing earlier. "But I reckon I wouldn't have minded calling you Shishou."

A cocky grin made its way upon the boy's lips and the samurai could only stare back with a sense of disbelief. Sotaru wasn't the sort of person to say such things, being the proud and arrogant child that he was. But he could see it those young eyes that spoke of maturity far beyond his eleven years and recognized it—perhaps not immediately, but it was there. He respected Jin.

"She's a lot happier now," Sotaru commented offhandedly. "About time…brainless girl," he muttered, chuckling.

"Hm," Jin lowered his eyes, knowing just exactly who 'she' was. A long pause followed…

"And so are you."

Silent understanding and respect passed between boy and man. Jin smiled, no matter how small it was he did. His dark eyes met Sotaru's for a brief moment, and there was nothing more to be said. In the distance, he could hear Fuu's voice, calling him back. Apparently he had stayed out longer than he intended. He turned back to Sotaru, ruffling his hair a bit, much to the boy's displeasure, before heading back. "Perhaps," Jin said softly.

* * *

For as long as he had been alive, Jin had never once seriously considered becoming domesticated. He had always lived his life drifting from place to place, with no real purpose or goal to live by. No one to serve or protect, and no desire to be more than he was. And for a while, he had been just fine with that simplistic way of life. 

He had always lived and fought for himself…He searched his entire life for someone worthy enough for his blade, and somewhere along the way realized that that person may not exist. It was the only life he had ever known—the life of a ronin.

Perhaps once or twice Jin had thought of giving up such a lifestyle. Settle down, hang up his sword, have a wife and maybe children. They never lasted long though, and he knew that deep down, he wasn't meant for such a life anyway.

And yet, it had been so terribly easy to fall into this line of thinking when he was with her. He craved it, in fact. He craved for it every time he held Fuu's small body against his and she kissed him with such tenderness that he swore it was too sweet to be substantial. He craved it even if there could be no possibility for the both of them. The last few weeks of happiness that he had with Fuu didn't change the fact that it could be snatched away at any moment. In fact, it only served to remind him each day of how futile their love seemed to be.

Yet he couldn't let go.

He watched the girl that sat across the table from him, who seemed to be in deep thought. Her eyes caught with his and for a moment she gave him a small smile…warm and tender. He could see himself reflected within her hazel eyes, and wondered if she could see herself in his.

For as long as had been alive, she was the only one he had served with his blade, his entire soul as a samurai. It was funny, Jin thought to himself, that his sword had known that he loved her before his heart did.

Jin had been contemplating a lot about what Sotaru had told him the other day. He was thinking about opening up a dojo and pass on his Sensei's teachings. He'd take in anyone who aspired to become a great swordsman and teach them to fight with a purpose. He'd teach them, and they'd call him Shishou, like Sotaru said.

He could provide and give Fuu a comfortable life—she'd never have to work as a waitress again and he'd buy her all the mochi she can eat. She'd like that.

Perhaps it was only a passing fantasy, but the thought made Jin mentally smile.

Fuu however, didn't seem to be sharing similarly happy thoughts for the future like Jin, for he blinked once and realized that she had a troubling frown on her lips. Concern crossed his features at this.

"Fuu?"

She looked up at the sound of his voice, nibbling at the tip of her chopsticks.

"Is something wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," Fuu shook her head, smiling weakly. Jin's brow creased.

"Fuu," he said a bit more sternly. She sighed slightly before putting now empty bowl and chopsticks down.

"I can't hide anything from you, can I?" Fuu stood up and walked slowly over to his side, taking his larger hands in her small ones and kissed the knuckles. Then she reached up to press her lips against his; she tasted of rice and tea. Jin closed his eyes and responded gently, softly, running questing tongue over parted lips.

"I don't remember what it's like to be without you," Fuu confessed, her breath caressing his face.

"Don't…" he whispered back, callused hands brushing away the strands of her brown hair from her eyes. "You don't ever have to again," Jin moved to deepen their kiss, but much to his dismay, the girl drew back. Confused and a bit hurt, the samurai placed a hooked finger under her chin and forced her gaze back on him. "Fuu?"

"Do you remember…what it's like?" She asked him, the question simple yet he knew she had been thinking about it a long time. The samurai became uncomfortable with the nature of her question, not sure what she was implying and where it might lead.

"I don't want to," He replied simply—and it was the truth. She faltered, a sad and bitter smile played across her lips.

"But you still do," her voice was melancholy sweet. "You can't have possibly forgotten."

"I don't…" Jin's voice seemed to trail off and his dark eyes widened, a feeling of dread beginning to wash over his being. Fuu gazed back at him with serene, yet sad eyes, knowing, yet questioning. And he knew that he was foolish to think that she would forget about it, and pretend that everything between them was all that mattered.

"Do you still think about her?" She finally asked. And she didn't have to clarify whom it was that she was talking about. He understood, and he sincerely wished that there was nothing about _her _to talk about.

"I haven't…in such a long time now," Jin responded honestly.

"Mm, but you still remember her."

"…Yes."

Fuu leaned against his chest, tracing the diamond pattern of the Takeda clan that decorated his haori, and thought. "I wonder sometimes," she began, closing her eyes and sighed. "If things would be different if I wasn't like this…"

"Fuu…"

"I wonder if you'd still be here," she let out a weak laugh. "I wonder if you would have stayed."

Jin stayed silent; words unable to form as his eyes set focused on an interesting spot across the room. The samurai could say that of course he would have stayed…but the truth of the matter was, he wasn't sure himself. Would he have stayed for Fuu had he not found out that she was dying…or if she wasn't dying at all?

He frowned in thought and guilt, because he knew that he most likely wouldn't have if things were different. He would have just bid Fuu goodbye and be with Shino, living a life that he could no longer imagine living anymore. He wondered that after, when he had settled down and had a family with the woman, if he would ever think back to the girl that he might have never fallen in love with and regretted. He wondered if he'd still fall in love with Fuu anyway, despite the fact that he'd be apart from her, and there was no means for him to do such a thing. He was pretty sure that he would.

She seemed to know what he was thinking and smiled sadly, her eyes distant and empty. "I understand," Fuu said in a small voice and stood up. Jin's eyes followed her with a sort of worried panic. Was she angry with him?

When she walked away, his hand shot out to grasp her wrist. She stared down at him in surprise, and he himself was shocked to see that his hand—the only real sane part of his body act of its' own accord. Still, he did nothing to remove it.

"Fuu, I—"

"Jin," She interrupted. "There's something that's been bothering me for a really long time now. Maybe it's nothing. Maybe I'm just thinking way too much. But hey, I'm only human, right?"

"Fuu, you're not making any sense."

"Sorry," the girl apologized absently; sadly, "I think…I've realized something," she said slowly.

Her wrist slipped a bit from his grasp, just enough so that now her fingers twined with his in a familiar manner and she waited for him to get to his feet. He realized that she wanted to show what that 'something' was. She gave him a reassuring squeeze, and he sighed in relief, his eyes closed. She wasn't mad.

Jin opened his eyes again and they were both standing in front of the familiar shoji door. The same one that seemed to always decide their fate. Even for someone so usually calm, he could feel the anxiety rising. Fuu's hand tightened around his and she drew a deep breath. She was anxious too.

It slid open; the room was dark and she lighted a candle. The paper cranes cast eerie shadows across the walls, the floors, and the screen. If it were a dream the cranes would by dancing right now, he was sure. Jin felt her slide her hand from his and he turned to look at her. Fuu was kneeling now; she took a piece of colored paper into her hands and paused for a bit.

Her fingers were trembling…

Then she began to fold.

Jin's eyes widened in alarm and almost immediately, he was by her side, strong hand gripping her wrist. The scene was played itself almost like the last time they were there, only their roles were reversed.

"What are you doing?" He asked, eyes narrowing. She only gazed back at him calmly, her nimble fingers still working on the piece of paper with accuracy and precision.

"I'm setting you free."

"…What?"

"I said…I'm setting you free," and now she held the completed paper crane in front of her…the one thousandth crane, something that at first had been an aspired goal was now something that they both never wanted to see complete. Jin's mouth was partly open in shock. Had she really said…?

"I don't understand."

Fuu smiled bitterly, cradling the crane in her palm. "It would have been so easy…to just ask you to stay with me forever so that you'd never be lonely. It would have been so easy to just ask you to love me, because I know that you wouldn't have hesitated to say yes." Even though her voice was calm and serene, her words were laced with such sorrow he could taste it in the air. She touched his hand that still held onto her wrist softly. "But I'd be a fool to offer, and you'd be a fool to accept."

"A fool?" Jin's grip tightened painfully—so much so that Fuu couldn't help but wince slightly. But Jin didn't care. For the first time since he had known Fuu, he was angry. "Is that what my love is to you? Foolish?" She did not meet his gaze, and he wouldn't believe it. There was no way that what everything between them, within them, binding them, meant nothing. Because surely, _surely_ if it meant everything to him, it must mean something to her.

Did she still not believe that he loved her?

"I didn't say that it was. But I didn't say that it wasn't," Fuu continued, still in her damnable calm voice…as if she had known all along that this would come. "We live stuck somewhere in between life and death. A place that I remember hearing foreigners talking about once…I believe it was called purgatory." She turned to him, hazel eyes pleading with him to understand. "Gomen," she whispered suddenly. "I'm so sorry…"

The samurai pressed two fingers to her lips, running his thumb over her soft skin. "What are you apologizing for?"

"For being such a selfish, spoiled brat," Fuu let out a sort of patronizing laugh. She moved away from his touch and shook her head. "No, let me finish. You had a life…and plans before you met up with me. I'm not completely oblivious, Jin. I know what you think about when you think I'm asleep. You want to get married and have kids…you want things that…"

"Fuu…"

"That I can't give you." She turned away, as if ashamed. "I know this, and yet…yet I fooled myself into believing that I could still keep you. That you'd be okay with it all and that we could just keep going on pretending."

Jin's hand went out to touch her, she turned to him; her gaze still lowered. "It's true," the samurai admitted. "I do want all of those things. But I'm not oblivious either, Fuu. I know that none of it can be. But I don't care." He wanted to make her see, make her understand. "I don't care if we keep pretending, I don't care if you think it's a dream." His hand found hers and he brought it up so that his lips caressed her fingers, "As long as I can be with you."

Words…words and whispers against skin. She wouldn't succumb to him so easily this time though. Fuu pulled her hand back; she was determined to set him free…set him free before the guilt ate her up inside, made her so sick of herself that she couldn't bear to look at her own reflection in the mirror. "No," she said. "No, don't you see? I don't have a choice. I don't get to have a life.

"But you do. You can have a full and happy life. You were about to…" She smiled bitterly, her eyes soft. "You were about to have it all if you just went to Shino."

And it was finally out in the open…the plain and obvious truth that had been mocking them, rapping against their shoji screen door since the moment he had stepped foot into her home. Now it was Jin's turn to look away. He knew there was no real reason for him to feel so ashamed; his relationship with Shino had begun far long before he had realized what he had with Fuu. Even so, he didn't dare let his dark eyes meet with Fuu's hazel ones.

"But I didn't," he finally said, his voice a bit lower than he had intended. "I didn't go to her…and I don't regret it."

A soft laugh emanated from the girl, and this time, it was she that reached out to touch him. Jin closed his eyes the moment her gentle fingers caressed the side of his face, her skin warm to the touch. "Maybe you don't," Fuu smiled sadly. "Maybe not now. But…maybe you will. Oh Jin, please understand. There's no future with me. But with Shino…With Shino you can still have all of those things. You can be happy. I wouldn't blame you if you went to her now. She's probably still waiting."

The samurai's eyes snapped back to rest on her serenely sad face, refusing to believe she was suggesting what he thought she was suggesting. His own hand went up to grasp hers, the one that still stroked his cheek absently with her thumb. "Fuu," his voice was stern and serious. "I don't need any of that. I don't want that kind of future if it isn't with you! You're the one who doesn't understand," he was losing his patience, his words becoming desperate.

He'd rather be in a tragic love story than a dreamland fairy tale as long as he was with Fuu.

As he became lost within her deep irises of swirling hazel and gold, he realized that as calm as she was on the outside, she was scared and lost and terribly confused. And Jin felt something dark and vile rise within himself, something clutch at his chest like it was going to rip out his heart and leave it bleeding on the floor… It was something that he needed to know, but feared the answer.

"I love you," Jin whispered, his fingers twining with hers, clutching like a frightened child in the dark. "It's real. Why won't you believe me?" He asked, gazing intently at her, as if demanding an answer.

A sad smile graced her lips, tears shining within her eyes but she wouldn't let them fall. "You idiot," She chuckled, leaning her forehead against his. Fuu's eyes fluttered close, and for a moment all Jin could do was watch them…waiting for them to open. "Don't you see? I do believe you."

His breath hitched. She believed him. She had always believed him.

"I do," Fuu continued. "And it's because I do that I've decided to let you go."

He blinked, confused—which made Fuu giggle slightly at his endearing behavior. "I'm a lucky girl," she stated plainly, her smile not leaving her saddened face. "Despite all the crap I've been through, I really am. I've probably lived a fuller life than a lot of people ever will. A lot of people never find what they're looking for in their lifetime. I'm just extremely lucky that I did."

"Fuu, please," Jin begged, not sure what exactly it was he was begging for.

"You need to go to Shino." It wasn't a request. "You need to go to her and tell her how you feel."

"How I feel!" Jin was losing his patience now. "Fuu, I don't feel anything for her anymore. I love YOU." He thought she understood. Was the girl playing mind games with him? Was he supposed to read between the lines something that didn't exist?

"I know," She replied, her voice still calm and her hand went up to rub up and down his shoulder as if to calm him. "That's why…you should tell her. You owe that much to her at least."

The samurai opened his mouth to say something, only to realize that he hadn't quite processed what it was that she was saying. 'Does this mean…'

"I'm just saying that it's kind of rude to promise someone you'd come for them and then not keep it," Fuu continued. If I were Shino, I'd be pissed. The least you can do is meet up with her and sort things out."

"Then you weren't telling me to leave you for Shino?" Jin asked, his arms encircling Fuu's small frame.

To this, she gave no immediate answer. Her eyes became downcast and she began to chew on her bottom lip. "I was serious about what I said earlier. Shino can give you everything that I can't. If you happen to…change your mind and decide to stay with Shino instead of returning, I wouldn't hold it against you," Fuu said slowly, trying to her hardest not to give away any indication that she would feel otherwise.

Jin grasped her shoulders so suddenly then that Fuu let out a short gasp. Their eyes met and Fuu almost became breathless when she saw a smoldering fire flaring within his dark irises. "I would **ALWAYS** return to you!" Jin declared fiercely.

Fuu tilted her head upwards, catching his lips in a gentle, lingering kiss. The whole time, the samurai could only stare back; dark eyes fluttered open and close, watching her.

"It's ironic. I never wished for such an impossible miracle, but it happened anyway. And I just want to say…more than anything…Thank you, Jin," she kissed him again, a little bit more tenderly and this time. "Thank you for staying," her voice became hushed, almost a whisper, "Thank you for sticking your nose into my business. Thank you. Thank you for loving me."

Jin's large, callused hands came up to cup either side of Fuu's face as he drew her closer, close enough so that he could feel the flutter of her eyelashes. "D-Don't…" He began, his voice coming out a bit more strained than he intended. "Don't make this seem as if it's a goodbye." Jin glared pointedly at her, his expression stern. She laughed at his seriousness.

"Sorry," she apologized, kissing his nose affectionately. "I'm just telling you what I feel, I can't help it. I love you so much."

Fuu giggled and leaned in to capture his lips once more but the samurai caught her by the shoulders and held her firmly a hair's breath away from him, his dark eyes wide.

"What did you just say?"

"Um…Thank you?"

"No," Jin growled, a little bit frustrated at her naivete. "After that."

"…What, I'm sorry?"

"After…" he whispered huskily, nuzzling into the crook of her neck. Jin could see her blush when she realized what exactly it was that he wanted to hear.

"I love you," she told him softly, smiling. The next thing that escaped from her delicate lips was a surprised gasp, for her lover began assaulting her neck with such fervent kisses that she would have fallen back if he hadn't been crushing her body to his own so closely. In an instant, his lips were on her own, devouring and passionate to the point of blurred madness.

"Oh…" Jin couldn't stop showering her face with kisses, couldn't stop touching her. "Fuu…Say it again…" he pleaded.

"I love you," she breathed, her hands burying themselves into his black mane that had somehow become undone. He had told her these three words many times, but somehow they sounded more beautiful when Fuu spoke them.

"Again…"

"I love you."

He kissed her deeply, eagerly, tongue and lips coaxing for a deeper taste of his lover. His head began to grow heady—almost dizzy. And oh…how could she ever believe that she was such an impossible girl to fall in love with? Especially when it had been so easy for him to do so, without even trying…without even knowing.

And she had always been so careful to never tell him of her love, even though he knew it was there. He had waited so long to hear it…so long. And now that he had, he was irrevocably addicted to hearing the words.

"Mmm, again," the samurai moaned against her lips, their bodies steadily reclining onto the floor littered with colored scraps and origami.

"Jin, I love you," she said, breathless her eyes reflecting a sort strange happiness, as if she was liberated and free after finally confessing to her devotion. "I love you," Fuu repeated again, this time without Jin's request. "I love you. I love you." It was getting easier and easier to say it.

Jin knew that he would never tire of hearing it. And now that she had told him such a thing, there was no possible way that he could leave her—even for a second, let alone weeks, possibly months to meet with Shino. His nimble fingers worked to untie Fuu's obi and divest her of her kimono at an almost frenzied pace. He was rather surprised and rather disappointed when she stopped him, only to have the feeling disappear when she pushed him so that he was now lying on the floor, with her straddling his hips.

"Fuu…" His voice came out in a shuddering breath; her hands crept their way into his haori and touched the heated skin there, sliding the fabric off of his shoulders and kissing his chest. Jin's hands immediately went up to do the same for her kimono, but again she stopped him and placed them instead on her hips.

"Fuu," Jin groaned once more. "…I want to touch you…"

She smiled once more, this time, rather coyly and gave him a lingering kiss that wasn't nearly enough to sate his growing desire. "Later," she said, reaching behind to let down her hair. "But now, I want to show you just how much I love you."

Jin let out a strangled moan when she suckled a sensitive spot on his neck and ground her hips deliciously against him.

"I'm going to give you reasons to come back to me." He knew that her words meant to come out seductively, but more than anything, they sounded shy but at the same time sincere and loving. This was the first time in which Fuu had shown even a sliver of aggression or desire to be in control, and that in itself made Jin terribly aroused.

Swallowing in apprehension, the samurai nodded at the girl and allowed himself the torturous pleasure of watching her.

Fabric and kimono slid lower and lower, revealing his lover to him in the pale moonlight. Shadows from the paper cranes played across her skin. Jin bit his lower lip…no matter how many times he had seen her this way he was always rendered speechless at how beautiful she was.

Fuu blushed under his gaze before moving to lie on top of him, until every inch of their naked flesh was pressed against each other. Her lips slid against his cheek, down to his neck and then to his chest. Her touches were so gentle and light—almost like a warm breeze on a summer day as she trailed delicate fingers down heated skin. It took all of Jin's willpower to force his hands to refrain from ravishing her.

She kissed his nipples, his stomach, his navel…lower and lower still…until his head was thrown back, hips arching inches off of the floor, and fingers—forgetting all commands and rational thought, dug into her silky brown locks desperately.

Her name, or something that sounded like it, escaped from his lips in short breaths and moans; his mind grew delirious with desire. When she moved up to kiss him and his body found hers, all form of thought escaped the samurai and he could do nothing but grasp at the paper that lay around and beneath their writhing bodies, crumpling them beyond recognizable shape.

Somewhere in his fevered state of mind, he could hear her voice, calling out for him in the dark of night.

_Jin._

_Jin. _

_Jin_.

Until he could no longer stand it and held the girl tightly to his sweat-slick body, moving so that he once more hovered above her.

He hoped that she would forgive him for taking the dominant position once more, but something in the way she wrapped her arms around his neck told him that she didn't care.

Jin kissed her deeply, tenderly, as if to memorize every trace of her mouth, as his hands did the same to her curves. He could feel her nails raking down his back and shivered with delight. In the moonlight, their silhouette of tangled limbs and glistening bodies moved in a languid and torturously slow dance of lovemaking.

Their eyes watched each other the entire time, bearing every ounce of love that seeped from their passion. It was so intense that it nearly brought Jin, a man who had forgotten how to cry tears to his eyes. Neither of them knew when their pace turned frenzy and their gasps and moans seemingly became one voice.

It was all Jin could do to grope for Fuu's hand, twining their fingers together in a tight grip as they drowned in their ecstasy and the world fell away. He felt as if it weren't for his own skin containing him, he would heave been scattered everywhere and nowhere at once. It wasn't until Fuu gave him a lingering kiss did he realize that he was in the only place that mattered: Within Fuu.

He leaned down so that his forehead rested against hers; their breaths mingled together, creating ghostly mists in the air. The room had become quite cold, the scent of their joining pungent in the air: it reeked of their passion.

"You're trembling," Fuu said softly, running questing fingers through sweat-drenched locks.

Jin didn't realize that he was and let out a shuddering sigh as she cradled his head against her bosom, silently offering him warmth.

And in the bliss of their afterglow, he suddenly became aware of a fear that crept upon him and spread throughout his being. He tried to banish the thoughts away and focus solely on the girl beneath him, but she must have noticed, for she brought a hand up to touch his face, hazel eyes showing concern.

"What is it?" She moaned softly, basking in their pleasure yet trying to focus on Jin's shift in moods. His arms wound around her form and held her tighter.

"Fuu, I can't do it. I won't leave you," He said firmly, his voice resolved. She ceased her gentle caresses and could only stare back, confused.

"What are you saying? You have to settle things with Shino. Otherwise, it sort of feels like I'm the other woman or something," she told him gently.

"You are _not _the other woman. You're the _only _woman."

"I know, but still…you have to go. It won't be for long."

Jin sighed and kissed her forehead, trying to grasp the words he needed to say. "Fuu…I'm afraid," he confessed quietly. It was the first time he had admitted being afraid of anything in his entire life, and it shocked Fuu.

"Afraid?"

"Hai. I don't know how long I'll be apart from you. I won't know if you'll be safe or not." Dark eyes met with deep hazel, his expression serious and lined with worry. "What if something happens to you? I'll never know, and I can't be here to do anything about it." Jin moved to kiss her, hard and desperate. When he reluctantly broke away from her, he saw that she was gazing at him with half-lidded eyes. "What if…" he couldn't even bring himself to utter the possibility. "What if—"

"Jin," she whispered, realizing what was haunting him so.

"I can't bear the possibility of returning home only to find that you aren't here anymore…"

For surely, if she had died in his absence, he would follow her too. She sighed, wrapping her arms and legs around his body to pull him closer, causing an involuntary moan to escape from his lips, for he was still buried deep within his beloved. "You worry about me so much, it's a sickness in itself," she joked weakly. "I'll be fine."

"You don't know that," Jin countered, wishing she didn't take the issue of her own mortality so lightly. "No. No, I won't go."

"I'm not going to die, trust me."

He refrained from scoffing at her statement, but she could see his indignation and forced his eyes to focus on her. "I'm serious," she said. "Besides, how do I know if you're coming back to me at all?"

"I told you, I would **ALWAYS** return to you," Jin growled possessively. "That you can trust."

"Then I'll make you a deal then," she smiled, leaning up to kiss the corner of his lips affectionately. "If you promise to come back, I promise that I will still be here waiting for you when you return."

Jin's mouth fell open slightly; alarmed that she would suggest such an incredulous pact. "How can we possibly keep such a promise?"

"You won't come back then?" Fuu asked, amused.

"No! That's not it. I mean, how can I be sure that you'll be all right? How?"

Fuu merely smiled and pulled him down for another kiss…and another. "It's simple, silly," she explained against his skin, her voice giving the impression of the obvious answer in front of them. "You're going to return to me one hundred percent for sure, right?"

"Yes," he answered without hesitation.

"Then I don't see the problem. I trust you to keep your promise, so you should trust me to keep mine."

Jin stayed silent for a long while, debating the issue over in his head. He wanted to point out all of flaws in her logic, but something stopped him. Perhaps it was the way her hazel eyes shone with such obvious trust and determination, or the way she whispered soothing words into his neck. His Fuu would never lie to him…that much he knew.

He sighed in defeat and relented to her touches. He believed her…he trusted her. And as their bodies began to slowly move once in their dance of seduction, Jin silently marveled at the girl that had somehow become both his savior and his downfall. She would be the death of him…

And god, he loved her.

"I'll keep mine if you keep yours."

"Cross my heart and hope to die," she said sweetly.

"That's not a comforting thing to say…"

"Sorry."

Against his will, he let out a weak laugh himself and she giggled in return, their heated movements causing light sounds of shifting and rippling paper beneath them that would probably be ruined once they were through—which wouldn't be until long after dawn and even then Jin was unsure.

"I love you."

"Mmm, again."

"I love you."

And he'd never tire of hearing it.

* * *

_Even if I'd lose tomorrow,_

_And even if I'd lose you, too,_

_I want to shine with my best smile_

_I call out to you now with my tears_

_I don't even need promises_

_Since it's the precious strength that you've given me_

_

* * *

_

**+End Chapter+**

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* * *

**

**A/N:**

(sigh) I know I know… two months and this is the crap I give you (bows down apologetically). It might just seem like mindless fluff, but I thought this was a really hard chapter to write, and I was stuck on it for the longest time. How do you capture conflict and sadness in a bottle? (sighs again)

Anyway, thanks once more for everyone who have reviewed and even a bigger thanks to those who are still with me reading this story. There's still more to come!

Ending Quote: _"Yakusoku w Iranai (No Promises Necessari)" _by Maaya Sakamoto.

In the next chapter, Jin struggles with his absence from Fuu, his conflict with Shino, and his race against time to make sure Fuu keeps her promise.

Please READ AND REVIEW! It reminds me that my writing has purpose. (smiles) I LOVE the new features added onto this site recently. (We can respond to reviews!) So cool.

I'll try to get Chapter 9 up a lot faster.

**Thanks and Ja Ne!**


	9. Snowdrops

**A/N**

Ah…Ninth chapter already. This means there's only two more chapters left in this fanfic (this one included), and I find myself almost dreading to write it because I love it so. But at the same time I'm writing it because I want it to finish, and I'm also procrastinating from doing homework. Bad Yume.

Thank you for all of your reviews for the previous chapter.

**Disclaimer: **Rights to Samurai Champloo? What are you talking about? There is no such thing! It's just a myth! (tries to hide the rights to SamCham while the police try to break through the door)

* * *

**Sweet Nothings**

**By Youkai Yume**

**Chapter 9: Snowdrops**

He resisted a shiver from passing through his body, but failed miserably. Above him, the last of the leaves that still clung desperately to the tree's branches relented and came fluttering down to his feet, joining its' other brothers and sisters that were scattered on the ground. Pretty soon all of the branches would be bare, and already the biting wind promised a season of cold snow that would undoubtedly come within the next few weeks.

Jin's slightly numb fingers worked on the knot of cloth that wrapped the large bento lunch that Fuu had made for him for his journey. Although his stomach was growling in protest, Jin honestly didn't want to eat the bento just yet due to the fact that it would be the only reminder he had of Fuu left for the rest of his trip. But on the other hand, if he didn't eat it, it would go cold and after a while, spoil and Jin didn't want to waste any morsel that Fuu had so lovingly spent making for him.

The samurai let out a long sigh. It had taken a long time for him to finally leave Fuu. He kept putting the trip off, always swearing that by the next day, he'd pack up and leave for sure. It wasn't until the girl pointed out that the longer he took to get going the less chance there would be of her actually keeping her promise that he decided it was time to go for real.

He knew she was only joking, but it certainly got him to finally take the initiative. Jin closed his eyes and recalled the goodbye kiss she gave him. Or rather, Fuu called it the "see you later" kiss, because she said that he'd come back to her anyway so there weren't any need for good-byes. It had started out as a simple chaste peck, followed by a slightly less chaste one…and another, and another.

Until Jin's intentions were hardly chaste anymore and he contemplated putting off leaving for another day so he could ravish Fuu right there on the porch.

"Nuh-uh, you can't weasel out of it this time," Fuu had admonished playfully once she broke away from his amorous advances. She teased him, saying that for someone who was supposed to be so disciplined, he was quite the procrastinator. Jin personally blamed Fuu. She had spoiled him with her affections and because of it his so-called discipline dwindled a little more each day; but only when it came to her.

Afterward, she had given him an encouraging smile; a hint of sadness was visible in it. Perhaps not intentionally, but he could see it, and it made leaving for Jin all that much harder.

It was even worse once he had actually left little town. His eyes would constantly peer back over his shoulder, searching the familiar house atop the hill. He had barely traveled two miles and he could still see the town quite well. And every time he turned around to pause and look at the place he now called home, he debated just a little more about whether or not he should just call off the whole thing and stay.

Shino knew he was a samurai, right? That meant that she should also know that his lifestyle wasn't exactly what you'd call safe, and that there were risks and the possibility of blood and death involved. He was sure she knew after seeing how much trouble he managed to get into just by rescuing her. Admittedly, once this thought crossed his mind, Jin considered not going at all and imagined that over time, Shino would believe him to have died in some sort of fight and go on with her life.

It was the cowardly route to take and worse, it was unfair to Shino. Afterwards he had felt quite guilty and even ashamed that someone such as himself would even think about taking such a course of action. Still, he couldn't help it. It had barely been a day and already Jin missed and worried about Fuu terribly.

Taking another long, drawn out sigh, the samurai turned back to the bento lunch in his lap. A small smile picked at his lips as he inwardly complimented Fuu on managing not to sneak a bite before wrapping it up for him. With hesitant chopsticks, Jin slowly took a piece of fish into his mouth and ate.

It was lukewarm instead of piping hot like it had been that early morning, but that didn't make it any less delicious. Jin let another content smile grace his lips. She always knew how he liked his fish—not too salty, and a little crispy.

As he glanced at the slowly darkening sky while eating his beloved bento, Jin wondered how much longer it would take for him to get to Edo, and that it would a very long time until he would taste Fuu's cooking again. So for now…for now he'd savor every bite.

* * *

"Sir, I don't know if it's a good idea to be going out there now. It's already raining pretty bad and it might get worse," the ferryman advised. Both of them were standing out by the dock, and if Jin hadn't caught him he was sure that the man would have gone straight home. Apparently he was the last to tie up the boats.

Jin shook his head, causing a few droplets of water to drip from his straw hat. "It's important that I get there as soon as possible," he insisted. "It's not very far to the _enriki-dera_. I'm sure the rain won't affect us that much."

"Maybe," the ferryman scratched his head slightly, blinking away some of the rainfall that had gotten into his eye. "But I still think it's a bad idea. Tell you what, you come back first thing tomorrow morning when the weather's fairer, and I'll take you anywhere you want on my boat."

The samurai's eyebrows furrowed together in deep thought. He didn't much like that idea, because it meant waiting one more day; and Jin didn't want to waste any time. It had already been two weeks since he left Fuu and that was only because he was in a hurry—to him, that was still two weeks too many. He wanted to settle things with Shino quickly so he could return and make sure that Fuu kept her promise.

As each day goes by, Jin becomes more and more concerned, wondering if she was all right and that she wasn't…no, he had to suppress all of the scenarios and dreadful thoughts out of his head. Turning his attention back to the now soaking, but surprisingly patient ferryman, Jin gave another refusing shake of his head.

"I'm sorry, but I don't think it can wait." Reaching into his pocket, Jin took out a small bag and held it in front of the ferryman. Hesitantly, he took it into his own palm and the little sack jingled with the sound of coins. Curious, he opened it and his eyes widened.

He let out an impressed whistle and adjusted his own straw hat (which had so many holes in it, it probably made not difference whether he was wearing it or not), and gave the samurai before him a sort of lazy chuckle.

"That's a lot more than what I charge, you know."

"Well, I'm trying to convince you to take me when you clearly don't want to," Jin replied.

"For this amount, I'd be more than happy to take you," the ferryman laughed, "but I'm going to be honest with you, sir. Once you get there, they probably won't let you in anyway. Only women are allowed in the _enriki-dera._"

"I know. I have business with one of the residents there, so I don't think it will be too much of a problem," Jin said calmly.

The ferryman narrowed his eyes a bit at Jin, perhaps questioningly, perhaps even suspiciously. Then he asked slowly, "What's your name?"

And after a while, the samurai finally answered, "Jin."

At this, the man let out a laugh that seemed to blend in with the pattering rain all around them and smiled somewhat in awe at him. "So _you're _the fellow that Miss Shino has been talking about!"

"You know her?"

"Sure I do," the ferryman said, "She comes down by the dock over there when I come by every so often to deliver something and we talk sometimes. She asks me if I've ever seen you around. Told me she was expecting you."

At this, the samurai felt immediately guilty and shifted uneasily on the spot. But the ferryman didn't seem to notice and patted Jin's shoulder somewhat harder than he intended. "Took you a while, huh? Well, sure thing, I'll take you to Miss Shino right now! Name's Nobu, by the way." he motioned over to one of the boats and pocketed the bag of coins that Jin had given him.

The usually calm waters were indeed rough and Jin found himself having to hold onto the sides of small boat to prevent himself from falling over. How Nobu managed to stand and steer the boat amidst the weather was a wonder to him.

By the time they had reached the small, secluded little island, the waters had become so rough that Nobu decided to stay there until morning as well.

"Aw, don't worry about it. This isn't the first time that I've come here during bad weather. There's a little shack at the bottom of the mountain that the other ferryman and I built just for the precaution, so I'll be fine," he assured Jin. "Now go up there and get your woman!"

The samurai was about to open his mouth and correct the fact that Shino was no longer his woman when he decided to let it go. Nobu was already turning to leave anyway. "Listen, I'll leave tomorrow morning, so get here if you decide to go back. Otherwise you're going to have to wait until another one of the other ferryman to come and get you on their rounds here." The ferryman said over his shoulder.

Jin nodded in understanding. "Thank you."

It would be a long climb up the stairs before he actually reached the temple, and the rain that had seeped into his clothes felt like they were being seeped into his skin as well. Still, the samurai's eyes were hardened with resolve and he did not falter as one foot was placed in front of the other, until eventually Jin lost track of how many stairs he had climbed and just how far up he was.

Idly, Jin thought it was rather strange that it would be raining at this particular time of year. He half expected it to start snowing by now instead. Perhaps the weather had known that he was going to be seeing Shino today, and so thought it would be a proper setting for them to meet in the soft pitter patters of the rain.

'It was raining the first and last time I saw her too,' Jin thought sordidly.

Truth be told, he was quite apprehensive about seeing the woman again. He knew what he was here to do, and yet in the entire time that he had to himself to think and plan out this meeting, he had not once thought about what he wanted to say—or rather, how he wanted to say it.

The samurai frowned slightly when he realized that he didn't even think about how Shino would react. First and foremost, did she still care about him? A voice in his head told him that she must have, if she was still waiting for him. Then there was the obvious issue of Fuu and his relationship with her.

There was no doubt in Jin's mind that he loved and belonged with her, but would Shino understand? He had always had a sort of image of Shino in his head—that of a reasonable, understanding, and forgiving woman. But he didn't actually spend enough time with her to really know these things. What if she reacted entirely differently and forced him to somehow marry her or go become not angry with him, but with Fuu and plot something horrible to happen to the girl?

All right, so perhaps he was overreacting, and that last part was highly improbable. But still…

Hmmm, he really hadn't thought about this…

Jin blinked and realized that there were no more steps to be climbed and he had, in fact, reached the very top and was now staring blankly at the front entrance of the temple. There was light coming from inside and he could see the shadows that moved across the windows and shoji screens and wondered if any of them could be Shino.

With weary steps he approached the front door and knocked, his voice a little bit hoarse when he called out for someone. After a few moments a couple of more knocks, shuffling footsteps could be heard and a woman's voice said, "Coming! Just a second!" on the other side.

The door slid open, and Jin came face to face with a woman of about middle age, with graying hair tied in a neat bun. She wore traditional priestess garb, and her eyes were beady and dark and wide with surprise at the sight before her. But it was quickly replaced with a scrutinizing look as she eyed the samurai from head to foot, and Jin immediately felt self-conscious at his wet and ragged state.

The only sound that could be heard was the rain and the drops of water that dripped from his soggy clothes, creating a puddle where he stood on the otherwise pristine front porch.

"Can I help you, sir?" The woman finally spoke. Her voice a lot kinder and softer than he expected. "If you're looking for shelter, I'm sorry, but men aren't allowed here."

"No, I'm looking for someone," Jin replied, taking off his thoroughly soaked straw hat.

He could vaguely hear the woman whisper, "What a handsome man…" quietly to herself.

"Is Shino-san here?"

"…What business do you have with Shino-san?" she asked slowly, much in the same suspicious tone that Nobu had asked him.

"I'm here to uphold a promise that I made to her three years ago. My name is—"

"Hanabi-san, who is that?" A delicate voice sounded from behind the woman and as she stepped into the doorway she froze, and so did Jin.

She looked exactly as he remembered her—without the heavy makeup and elaborate kimono and ornaments in her hair like when she was working in the brothel. No, she was exactly the same as when he first met her on that bridge.

"Jin…" She muttered, still quite surprised. He gave a respectable bow to her and nodded.

"Shino."

* * *

It took a while for them to find him spare robes that he could temporarily wear while his indigo kimono hung to dry. And now, as he sat uncomfortably at a small table in a dark green kimono, which was a bit too big for him, he studied Shino as she gracefully poured tea into both of their cups.

All the while, the woman kept her eyes downcast and a small smile graced her lips when she set the teapot down.

"You're late," she began with a slight chuckle, peering at him finally with a sort of serene look on her face. "About six months…I was beginning to think you weren't coming or that you had gotten yourself killed."

'I knew I would have gotten away with it if I played dead…' A little voice mocked in Jin's head but he quickly shook it off.

"I apologize," the samurai said sincerely. "A lot of things…happened."

She shook her head and sipped demurely at her tea. "It's alright. It's just good to see you again, Jin."

"How have you been?" Jin started, hoping to hear…well, that she had been treated well, that she hadn't been worrying and waiting for him the entire time, because it only made what him all the more guiltier for what he was about to tell her. But Shino only gave him a small smile and shrugged.

"Quite well actually. Hanabi-san took me in without any question, and I live a fairly comfortable life with all of the other women here at the convent."

"That's good to hear," he said honestly, and truly it was.

She sighed a bit before putting down her cup and folding her hands in her lap demurely. "I am grateful for everything that Hanabi-san and the others have done for me here and I'm also very grateful to you for saving and sending me here as well. You have already done so much for me already, and I am even more grateful that you have come back."

Jin began to shift in his seat and closed his eyes. Slowly, he took a deep breath and gazed at Shino intently.

"Shino," his voice was a bit hesitant. "I haven't forgotten about what I promised you three years ago." (She'd know that obviously, for he wouldn't be here right now he mentally pointed out) "But the reason why I've come is not to take you away."

He waited for some sort of reaction, and was mildly surprised when she didn't look shocked, confused, or even angry. She just continued to gaze calmly at him, as if she had known all along what he was going to say and was only waiting for him to say it. Slowly, the woman closed her eyes and nodded.

"I have to admit, I was sort of expecting you to say that. Not that I didn't have faith that you'd come back of course," Shino added. "I may not have known you for very long, but I know that you're a man of your word. But I suppose I had a sort of...sense that when you came back, it wasn't because it was out of love."

She looked out at the rain that was still coming down outside, creating a soothing rhythm that complimented their silence. Jin could only observe her in all of her cool countenance. He had not been expecting such an answer, and it seemed to him that she had been thinking about it a long time.

He tore his eyes away from her, not knowing what else to say except, "I'm sorry."

Shino shook her head, "Don't apologize. Three years is a long time…" her deep eyes of midnight turned to the sky outside, shedding its' tears, and she let a somewhat bittersweet smile grace her features. "Isn't it strange how we always seem to meet in the rain?"

They had both been thinking the same thing. He didn't answer her though.

"I've asked myself often, even when we were together…if it had ever been love that bound us in the first place." She laughed a seemingly bitter laugh. "I've waited three years to meet you again…just so I could ask you that."

Jin never took his eyes off of Shino. It was strange how…right before he came here and laid eyes on Shino, he had been thinking of the same question and yet had such terrible difficulty piecing the answer in words. And yet now that he was here, sitting across from her, it had never been clearer.

"Perhaps we both convinced ourselves that it was at the time," he finally answered. "But I suppose, in the end, I was only looking for a bit of…solace."

Solace in the cold, melancholy rain.

"I'm sorry," he apologized again… sorry for using her. Just for a bit of solace. She chuckled, waved her delicate hand lightly and shook her head.

"No, we're both to blame. I wanted solace too."

Solace when no one else would give it. A short time of escape to a world of false lies and veiled disillusions of love that had never been there. Never will be there. It had been just that. Solace. Plain and simple.

"Thank you," Shino choked out all of a sudden that it rather surprised Jin. The samurai tilted his head to the side, wisps of raven hair falling into his eyes.

"For what?"

"I don't know," she laughed. "I'm just so…" she searched the right words to explain the emotion that seemed to engulf her and smiled gently, "Relieved. Yes, that's the word. As if I'm freer all of a sudden. I actually thought that I'd be upset, but instead I'm just so relieved. Strange, isn't it? Am I making any sense, Jin-san?"

A small quirk of his lips spoke of slight amusement and he nodded. "Perfect sense."

And he knew exactly what she meant, for he felt it too. Liberation, as if a big weight was lifted from their shoulders and they were seeing each other for the first time. Then, still smiling quite serenely, Shino bent forward and rested her head on her hands, studying the samurai before her.

"There's more," she quirked her eyebrow at him, and Jin could do nothing but pause in mid-sip of his tea. "There's more," Shino repeated again, "to your side of the story, isn't there?"

Ah, she had always been wise, could read him quite well, just as he could read her. They were truly alike, he and Shino. Putting down his cup of tea, Jin sat back and now it was his turn to look out at the rain.

And instead of remembering the day that he had met Shino on the bridge, he remembered the day he and Fuu got caught in the rain.

"Tell me, what is the real reason you're here?" she finally inquired.

And as the inevitable question reached Jin's ears, the words began to become jumbled in his mind and he wondered where to start, and in doing so he had to figure out when it was exactly that he began to fall in love with Fuu.

Did it all begin when he first saw her in the teahouse? Or when he realized she held onto the sleeve of his kimono like a security blanket? Did he begin to care for her when he found her tiny shoe floating down the river and thought her dead? Maybe it was that one, single moment that he held her comfortingly by the lake as she cried out all of her silent fears, or when she had left both he and Mugen behind with nothing but a purse full of pebbles, and a small piece of cake.

Did he love her when they were at that crossroad and she smiled and said, _"Let's meet again…"?_

He didn't know when it happened, but perhaps it was all of those things…

It was when he bumped into her after three years on the street, and it was when she lay in his arms and confessed she was dying. It when she ran in that field, laughing and free, and when she wished on those stars and sang her sweet lullaby from a childhood long lost. It was when he carried her on his back, running through the rain and she laughed when his glasses fogged up, and when she confided in him her porcelain dolls and paper cranes. It was when she planted those sunflower seeds and named Jin-Jin's kittens.

It was when she held his hand, and smiled a smile that he knew was only meant for him.

"Her name is Fuu," Jin closed his eyes and smiled as her name rolled off his tongue. "And it all began with a ridiculous quest to find a sunflower samurai…"

A story with fated beginnings…a story that he himself didn't know would have a happy ending or not.

Outside, only the sound of the pouring rain echoed in the breeze.

* * *

His mind occasionally wandered back to that confrontation that he had with Shino. For all of his worrying, Shino had taken it quite well. Jin had expected her to…well, he wasn't sure what he thought she would do, but he certainly didn't expect for her to listen so intently, accepted his explanation so openly as she did.

The samurai did notice that she was a tad wistful though, and she had admitted that she was jealous to a certain degree that Fuu had gotten so lucky. Perhaps she was joking, for she laughed afterwards…but then again she also didn't look at him.

"But I shouldn't really," she had said. "Instead, if anything, I should hope for…the best for you."

"You don't have to."

"I should. There really aren't people like you anymore, Jin-san," he remembered her laughing. "If I looked at this logically, any normal man wouldn't have chosen such a doomed love…" Then she covered her mouth, "Oh, gomen…I didn't meant to…"

"It's alright," he had reassured her, his dark eyes tainted with sadness. "It _is _a doomed love."

"Then why do you choose it?"

"Because I love her."

"Out of pity?"

"No. Out of love," Jin had told her confidently, unwaveringly and it had caused her to smile.

"Good."

The next morning, Jin had gathered his dry cloths and bid Shino farewell. She had assured him that she would be all right, that she didn't plan on staying in the enriki-dera for long and that she planned on becoming a priestess herself. She expressed a deep desire to travel and help other women who had been in her situation as well, and then some. It was such a Shino thing to do, and frankly, Jin had no doubt that she'd succeed.

True to his word, Nobu had been waiting by the docks. A confused expression played upon his face when he saw that Jin was alone.

"Didn't find what you were looking for?"

"I found it," Jin had replied. "I just left it back home."

He would be lying if he said that he lost all track of time. He counted every step that he took, every breath every second and every hour and day that he had gone without Fuu. And the longer he counted, the more he ached and longed for her. His mind and soul craved to see her face and hear her voice, to know that she would be safe and with him once more.

His body…his body craved and missed her touch, his skin remembering the ghosting feel of her lips and hands and yearned for it. At night Jin found himself thinking of her often. He gazed at the stars and prayed that she'd still be there when he returned, and wondered if she thought of him when she looked up at the heavens too.

Everyday the weather grew colder and colder, until the samurai woke up one morning to white snow and misty breath. It should have slowed him down…the biting wind, his weary body, his constant hunger. Yet the more he trudged through the expanse of snow that lay before him, he could only think of her and his feet refused to slow down…even when he sore and numb.

Jin remembered the first time he had seen snow with Fuu. They were still on their quest to find the sunflower samurai and Mugen had tried desperately to make it seem like the cold weather didn't bother him. Even though it was quite obvious the way his teeth chattered against his will and he became more spiteful about his short pants.

He had made fun of the samurai then, saying that of course Jin would feel right at home in winter because he was every bit as cold as the snow.

But Fuu…she had adored it. His mind took him back to that moment when she first spotted the drifts of snowdrops and she ran with arms outstretched to catch them. Then she spun round and round so that it seemed like she was dancing. And she danced until her cheeks grew rosy and pink and she collapsed from dizziness. Mugen called her stupid. She had hit him afterwards after she regained her stable world.

Its strange how little simple moments that seemed insignificant at the time, becomes indefinitely precious later on.

An entire month had passed since he had last seen the town before him. It stood there, just as he had left it; the only difference was it was now decorated with a white blanket upon rooftops and streets. Outside, the people still wandered about, carrying on their business and children made snowmen and threw snowballs until they were laughing senseless.

His dark eyes lingered on them for only a second before resting on the little house on the hill. 'Finally…' he thought, his heart throbbing. 'I'm home.'

He was walking quite quickly through the streets, eager to see Fuu again. On the way a couple of people welcomed him back, and it surprised him somewhat. Jin realized then that this was the only place that he had stayed long enough for the locals to know him by name, and even on friendly terms. He was thinking so intensely on coming back home that he almost missed the familiar voice that called him through the streets.

"Jin-san!" It called again.

Turning around, the samurai's eyes softened when he saw the manager of the restaurant approach him, broom clutched in his frail hands. He bowed respectfully to him.

"Konbanwa, ojii-san," Jin greeted.

"Ah, it is you! I'm so glad that you're back, I was beginning to worry that we wouldn't see you again," the shopkeeper smiled, then his expression grew serious. "Fuu-chan never doubted that you would though."

The samurai immediately came to attention upon the mention of her name. "How is she? Is Fuu okay?" Jin asked at once, his expression insistent. The old man's eyes crinkled with thought and worry, and his mouth grew into a frown; all the while, his grip on the broom did not loosen and he only sighed.

"I was going to get to that," he said slowly, his tone sad. So much so that Jin felt as if someone stabbed him and he grew anxious.

"Is she alright? She's not…" Jin swallowed. She couldn't be…

"I gave her the day off today," the shopkeeper said, and this one phrase relieved Jin a bit. At lease he knew that she wasn't dead. But… "But she's been ill a lot more often lately," he went on. "I've noticed that she's been coming in later and later for work. I know she doesn't say anything or complain, but she doesn't look very well. Not to mention, she's been making a lot more visits to the apothecary too.

"I know it's not my place to question what's going on with Fuu, but I'm not a fool. I know that something's wrong with the girl…" The old man looked up at the samurai, whose dark eyes flickered gravely. "I'm worried, Jin-san."

Without another word or even an utterance of goodbye, Jin practically started at an even more frenzied pace towards the house. He could hear the shopkeeper shouting at him in the distance, but couldn't make out the words. The feeling of dread continued to spread throughout his being, and only one thought resounded in his head:

_Fuu._

"Fuu!" His voice echoed off the walls and empty hallways as the moment he slid open the doors with intense force. His shadow crept across the floor of the main room; a few flakes of snow escaped into it and speckled the doorway.

The house was quiet.

"Fuu?" Jin called out once again, his tone gentler as he shut the door and began to peek into each room to see where she was, afraid to even breath for fear that he might not be able to hear her soft voice. She wasn't in the kitchen, her room was empty, and she most definitely wasn't in the backyard.

Perhaps she went out…to buy a few things for dinner maybe? What if she was at the apothecary? Did the children know? All the while, the shopkeeper's words swirled in his mind and Jin tried to shove out the most prevalent thought out of his head; pushing the worst possibility for last. And then he realized there was one last room within the house that he didn't look.

The shoji door stood before him; his hand was shaking as it grasped the wooden frame.

'She promised me. She promised…' he repeated over and over again in his mind. 

And as the door slid open, and light streamed from the room, the paper cranes danced overhead in a silent waltz. The colored paper seemed to almost transform into sheets of rainbow silk that coveted its' mistress in their cradle.

There she lay, sprawled in the middle of the room with her back turned to him. Her hair splayed across skin and paper. There was neither movement nor sound. She was still.

And for a moment, everything around him became still as well. His blood ran cold.

"_Fuu!" _Jin ran to her before he registered that he had, and he turned her over and gathered the girl into his arms. Wisps of her brown silken locks fell on her face and neck, and he quickly swiped them away, cupping her cheek with a trembling hand. She was warm. But she still didn't move.

"Fuu! Fuu!" He called out to her, over and over again; the panic growing worse as each second passed and she remained still. "Please, Please, open your eyes, Fuu…I kept my promise, I came back…" he whispered desperately. "You said you'd keep your promise if I kept mine…please…"

He shook her lightly, insistently and swore he could feel his heart breaking and that a part of him was dying…

Then he heard a soft moan emanate in the silent room and his name was whispered ever so lightly. Dark eyes watched with anticipation and flurried nerves as irises of the deepest hazel fluttered open to gaze back at him gently, lovingly.

As she smiled gently at him he almost believed he was in a dream until he felt her delicate hand touch his cheek.

"Welcome home, Jin," Fuu said simply.

The samurai couldn't even restrain himself as he held her tightly to his chest and sighed out her name in pure…utter relief. She squeaked with surprise and giggled as he rained her face with fervent kisses…like a man thirsting for water after days of traveling in the desert.

"Fuu," he breathed, kissing her long and deeply. "Please don't scare me like that again…"

"How did I…Oh," she chuckled, laying her head against his chest as he continued to hold her, not releasing his grip in the least. "Sorry, I was just here thinking for a little while and I guess I feel asleep." He felt her lips as they pressed gently against the nape of his neck in a display of apologetic affection and he sighed. This in turn caused her to giggle some more.

"How did it go?" she asked.

"It's done, I'm here. That's all that matters."

"Yes you are," she kissed his neck again, "And see? I kept my promise."

"Mm," Jin ran his hand through her hair lovingly, but his expression of concern did not fade. "I was told that you were... Fuu, tell me truly, are you well?" He peered down at her and their gaze met. She blinked confusedly at him.

"I'm fine Jin," she reassured him. "I haven't gotten any of my attacks, if that's what you mean. In fact, I feel pretty good."

"Don't lie to me, Fuu," Jin said sternly, taking her hand in his. "I know that you've been to the doctor a lot more lately. If there's something wrong, I want you to tell me."

For a moment, the girl was surprised that he knew about her frequent visits to the apothecary. Then she took his hand and kissed his knuckles, smiling in what could only be described as amusement. "Oh Jin," she laughed. "It's true, I have been to the doctor a lot, but it's not because of what you think."

Jin became increasingly confused. "Then what…"

A twinkle shined within her eyes and she took his hand that she still held in hers…and placed it against her belly. The samurai became quiet for a moment before his dark eyes widened with realization. Surely…she couldn't mean…

"H-How…"

"A month," Fuu answered, smiling. "You can't feel it yet, but—hey!"

Before she could finish, Fuu found herself being lifted into the air, bridal style, and the room became a swirl of color around her. A joy unlike Jin had ever known overwhelmed him, and if it was possible, he loved Fuu even more now than he did before. Jin spun her around the room until she was laughing and screaming at him to stop. He spun her until he was laughing himself—kissing Fuu with drowning ecstasy.

"I can't help it, love," Jin said breathlessly. "I can't…"

And all she could really do was laugh and meld her lips against his. He carried her down the hallway and into their warm bed, where he made love to her for the rest of the day…until they were thoroughly spent and sated…until he fell asleep to the sound of her rhythmic breathing.

Perhaps it was a doomed love. But then again, he had been doomed from the moment he met the girl anyway. And he never regretted it.

* * *

_Please hold me because I realized for the first time_

_That I want to be happy ever since I met you_

_

* * *

_

**+End Chapter+**

**

* * *

**

**A/N**

…Yes, this means that Fuu's pregnant (thumbs up) Good job, Jin! The good news…this **is not** the last chapter. The bad news…maybe, perhaps to some of you…that Chapter 10 (the next chapter) _will_ be the last.

Ending quote for Maaya Sakamoto's _"Kiseki no Umi" (Light of Love)._

Thank you for all of your kind reviews. I'm so grateful to have so many loyal and each time, new readers (sob). PLEASE READ AND REVIEW! It means a lot.

I'll try to get the last chapter soon. (it's almost over…sniff)

**THANKS and Ja Ne!**


	10. Epilogue: Ever After

**A/N**

Well, this is it. This is the last chapter to "Sweet Nothings." I hope I didn't disappoint throughout this whole story, and although it makes me sad to know that this story will end, I hope to create more stories in this genre again.

Oh, this is sort of off topic, but I apologize…the last ending quote was just "Light of Love" not Kiseki no Umi…which is an entirely different song…albeit, still by Maaya Sakamoto.

**Disclaimer: **For the last time, **_Samurai Champloo_** belongs to Manglobe, blah blah blah. Just read and enjoy, dammit.

* * *

**Sweet Nothings**

**By Youkai Yume**

**Epilogue: Ever After**

They were married in the spring, when the breeze was calm and cool and the blossoms danced in the wind. It had been a small gathering, with only a few close friends. This included the old shopkeeper, Kenta the chef and the other employees at the restaurant, and of course, mainly the children of the town. The ceremony was held not at the village shrine, but right in their own backyard. The sunflowers had bloomed with the leaving of winter, as if it had known all along of their joining.

She had walked hand in hand with him in a kimono of pure white satin, because they couldn't really afford silk, but she hadn't minded in the least.

"Satin is practically like silk anyway!"

And then she had confessed to him that she was glad that they were to be wed so soon because any longer and the barely noticeable bump in her stomach would have swelled so much that her kimono—either silk or satin, wouldn't have been able to hide it. She professed that she would have looked unflattering on her own wedding day.

He laughed then, and knew that no matter how large his Fuu would become—and he had seen her grow quite large before—that she would always be beautiful.

And oh, beautiful didn't seem like the sufficient word to describe her as she walked through that sea full of sunflowers, with tendrils of silky brown hair that hung around her delicate face, and long, dark lashes that brushed against flushed cheeks. How the image of her painted lips upturned in a delicate smile and sparkling hazel eyes that spoke of a day that she never thought would come burned into his memory.

Even Satoru, who had never admitted to Fuu that he thought her pretty before had stared open-mouthed with a healthy blush on his cheeks as she walked by; something that he was sorely embarrassed about when Satsuki and the other girls caught him in the act and giggled insanely.

Amidst the silent murmurs and warm looks that surrounded them, all Jin could really do was stare at his bride throughout the entire time. Afraid that if he looked away—even if for a second, he'd wake up and it would just be another one of his dreams.

As they stood before the Shinto Priest, whose words drowned in their ears, he had sneaked a sideways glance at her and their eyes caught. Even without words, he knew she what she was trying to say:

If he agreed then it would mean a life half-lived. Even at the altar she gave him one last chance to turn away if he wished from their imperfect fairytale.

He twined their hands then. There was nothing more he had ever wanted in his entire life.

The samurai still recalled the first time their lips met as husband and wife on that day. Of course he had shared many passionate and breath-taking kisses with Fuu before and since then…but in that one moment, it had never seemed more sacred and precious. As if that one single act was some kind of triumph of fate that had always been denied them.

When they had finally parted and the cheers and congratulations resounded around them, Jin's eyes noticed a shadow of a figure that loomed beside the large oak tree that wasn't far from where they stood. For a moment, his gaze lingered upon it. Then he blinked and the figure was gone…as if it had never been there to begin with. Jin could have sworn he saw a flash of red.

He had smiled.

"What is it?" Fuu's soft voice had brought him out of his thoughts and he looked down at her with a sort of knowing look before he kissed her again.

"Nothing," he had whispered.

Jin would like to have thanked Mugen properly. He would have liked to hear the pirate's gruff and perhaps even rude blessings on their wedding day. He knew Fuu would have liked it as well. But then again, Mugen was never the sentimental type anyway. It seemed almost fitting that the brazen man had offered his congratulations in his own hidden and silent way.

Besides, even if he had come up to Jin, the samurai knew exactly what the pirate would have said:

"Be happy, ya bastard."

Afterward, Jin had looked down at his new bride, held her hand to his lips and knew that he would be. Even if it was only for a short while.

Her voice rang in his ears as if it were only yesterday that she had spoken the words.

"Guess what, Jin."

"Hn."

"I think I finally wished on the right star."

He never told her, but he thinks that perhaps he did too.

A small tug on his kimono sleeve brought him out of his reverie; Jin looked down at the pair of large hazel orbs that gazed back at him curiously.

"Come on, Papa! We're gonna be late!" she tugged at his sleeve even more insistently. "Momma'll be mad," she warned, causing the samurai to chuckle slightly. He took her small hand in his large one and nodded.

"Alright, Himawari. Let's go."

She flashed her father a toothy grin and with much impatience, practically dragged him down a road that they had both grown so used to walking. In her other arm, she cradled two sunflowers that she had picked out herself delicately against her chest along with her favorite doll.

"Take care of the house Jin-Jin!" The little girl called back to an old, graying cat that slept soundly on their porch, its' ear and tail twitching in response.

Himawari giggled and gave another brilliant grin to her father. She was always excited when they went to visit. Even though they do so almost every other day, the little girl never tired of it.

Today she had even woken up early to fix up her hair all by herself. Well, almost. Jin had helped put in the pins in her hair. The same ones that Fuu always used to wear—even though the samurai had bought her far more beautiful ones, she always loved her first pins best. She told him that they had belonged to her own mother. And now, with her hair tied all tied up, she looked even more like his beloved Fuu than she already did.

Sometimes, it surprised him how much the child reminded him of his wife. Not only in appearance but in demeanor as well. She was as bright as sunshine and loved the sunflowers that she had been named after almost as much as her own mother did. And even though Fuu had always let Himawari have her way, it was of course Jin that spoiled her rotten.

People have always commented on how she was Daddy's little girl.

Himawari began to hum softly to herself a song that she heard her mother sing many times to her. Vaguely in Jin's mind, he imagined that when she grew up she'd sing it to her own children, and then they'd sing it to theirs, and so on and so forth.

Along the way, Jin spotted someone walking down the same path with shoulders hunched over, hands in his pockets, and a slight swagger in his step. To anyone else, the man would appear drunk but Jin knew from the many years that he had been acquainted with the man that it was just the actual way that liked to walk. Which probably suggested that he composed himself quite well as a drunk.

"Look! It's Uncle Mugen!" The little girl cried happily and she immediately let go of Jin's hand to race up to the ragged pirate. Instantly, the brazen man lifted his head and peered over his shoulder at the sound of Himawari's pitter-pattering footsteps that approached from behind and for a flickering second, smiled as the child threw him a hug around his feet.

"Hiya squirt," Mugen grunted, ruffling the girl's hair.

"Don't do that!" Himawari whined. "I fixed it really nice today…"

He scoffed somewhat before meeting eyes with the silent samurai who slowly approached him.

"Mugen."

"Bastard," he replied.

"Please refrain your language in front of my daughter."

"Whatever." Mugen peered down at the little girl and scratched his head. "Sunflowers again?"

"Momma _likes _sunflowers," Himawari explained. "Papa and I are going to give them to her. Were you going too?"

"I guess," the pirate shrugged, and they all continued on their way.

"Didn't _you_ bring her flowers?" the child questioned.

"Guess I forgot," Mugen shrugged again, shoving his hands back into his pockets and scowling ahead.

"That's okay, you can have one of mine, Uncle Mugen! I brought two!" she held out one of her sunflowers for him to take, grinning expectantly. The man could only stare at it for a couple of seconds before relenting and accepted the flower, grunting a soft thanks as he did so.

Jin mentally chuckled. It was shocking really when he first found out that the rough and tough as nails pirate had a soft spot for children. Or perhaps it was only for Himawari. It was a little after five months after their wedding when Mugen had decided to have a proper reunion with Jin and Fuu and claimed that he would be visit once in a while. Fuu, who had been heavily pregnant at the time was indeed happy to see him again and whined a bit about not being able to give the man a proper hug because her bulging stomach was in the way.

"God woman, you're fat," Mugen had said when he first saw her, smirking and sneering. Of course he immediately wished he hadn't because with Fuu's added mood swings, she didn't give him just a slap on the head, and Mugen didn't end up with just a bruise…

He drifted in and out of their lives every so often, and it was implied that he'd never truly stay and perhaps neither Fuu or Jin minded as long as they saw him. But even that didn't last long…

Jin remembered the day that Fuu finally gave birth to Himawari. Admittedly he and Mugen had been quite worried about her condition and feared that due to her illness that she would be too weak to pull through. He had thanked the stars when he held his daughter for the first time in one arm, and Fuu in the other.

"She's beautiful…" Fuu had whispered then, tired and flushed but undeniably happier than he had ever seen her.

"Like her mother," He had whispered back and kissed both his wife and daughter softly on their foreheads.

And Mugen, who had been waiting just outside the doorway and finally let in by the doctor could think of no witty comeback to ruin the moment, only staring with disbelief down at the small bundle in Jin's arms.

After being threatened by Fuu that if he dropped her baby she would kill him, Mugen had surprisingly been allowed to hold Himawari. Jin remembered that scene vividly too. The pirate held her as if she were the most fragile glass—like he had never been allowed to touch something so precious before in his entire life.

Jin had no idea that someone so ruthless and uncouth could be so gentle—and to a child no less. This was a man who once killed an old man just because he didn't understand what the elder was trying to say.

"She's kind of chubby," he remembered Mugen saying. Yet, even then Jin could tell that he had become attached to their daughter already.

Mugen visited more and more often after Himawari's birth, until it was painfully obvious that the pirate wasn't just a visitor anymore. He was family, as he always had been. Of course, Fuu had offered to let him a permanent room in their home, but Mugen declined.

He claimed that he didn't like the idea of being kept awake all night by the baby's cry or Jin and Fuu's…late night activities.

Nonetheless, Mugen stayed nearby. He helped Jin build and add onto their house on top of the hill until it was suitable to be called a dojo. True to his word, Satoru had been the first to sign up as one of Jin's students.

Needless to say, the boy and pirate didn't get along too well when they first met. They still don't.

It hadn't been long before Jin's dojo had attracted more students, and Jin was slowly getting used to being called Seishou. Regardless, the samurai was pleased, even if he wasn't as good as a teacher as his own master was. He made enough to ensure that his family would never starve, Fuu would always have medication, and even enough so that Mugen could occasionally freeload off of them.

It was a lot better than washing dishes that was for sure.

Fuu had often liked to stand by the doorway and watch Jin's sessions with his students whenever Himawari was napping. Sometimes she even brought the slumbering child with her. Even though the samurai usually chided that she should be resting instead she had never listened. Busy or sick, Fuu always found herself sneaking into the classroom and watching him nonetheless.

"Like some sort of dance or something," he remembered was one of her compliments.

Sometimes she even brought snacks for the students. They had become so accustomed to their Shishou's wife that not only did they grow fond of her, but called her _Lady_ Fuu as well. Fuu loved the flattery. Jin didn't…Perhaps he was paranoid, but he even suspected that some of them had a crush on his wife…He knew Satoru sort of did still.

But he had never been worried because first of all, they respected him too much, and secondly he was sure that Mugen made threatening comments when he thought he or Fuu weren't looking.

Mugen…was a frequent visitor to their dojo. He sparred often with Jin's students and so far, has remained undefeated; a record that the pirate was disgustingly smug about.

"If you can't beat me, what makes you think any of your students can?" Mugen had bragged over a cup of sake one-day.

"I never lost to you," Jin had scoffed then. "If it weren't for Fuu I would have killed you."

"Don't use that excuse! You couldn't do it even before you got married to her!"

"Ah, but neither could you. And you're not even married to Fuu, so you have no excuse."

And it was just the way things were. Maybe they're friendship had finally gotten the better of them. Or maybe they both loved Fuu too much. Or…it could just because they were both getting old.

"We're here, Papa," his daughter's soft little voice broke into his thoughts and Jin blinked a bit, realizing that they had reached their destination.

Dark eyes dropped down to the grave marker and softened. Fuu had been waiting for them.

It had been nearly three years since he woke up with her in his arms that one morning, only to find her tender gaze upon him, watching. Nearly three years since she had touched his face then and he understood that it was time. Nearly three years had passed since she closed her eyes as if she was just falling into another sleep, smiled, and simply asked for him to hold her.

His daughter had wept when she realized her mother was not going to wake up, and though Mugen appeared angry with Fuu for leaving, Jin knew that he had wept in secret.

But none of them would ever weep more than him. He wept when he was awake…when he dreamt…and he wept even when no visible tears were falling.

And even though he had known all along that it was inevitable that it would happen…even though he saw her grow weaker day by day and she stopped responding to medication, he had hoped that their wishes went further than just the stars and paper cranes.

She had loved him, and it had saved him.

He had loved her…wasn't that enough to save her?

"Hi, Momma," Himawari crouched down in front of the grave and smiled. "Papa and I brought you a new sunflower." A small hand shot out to take out a withering sunflower in a small vase that stood beside Fuu's grave marker and replaced it with the new one. "Uncle Mugen brought one too. I helped him," she announced proudly.

Himawari glanced back over at the pirate who snorted gruffly before placing the flower that the child had given him earlier next to its' brother in the vase. Jin could see the amusement playing across the man's eyes, and he couldn't blame him.

His eyes lingered on the grave, around it there were budding signs of floral life beginning to grow, and it wasn't coincidence. Himawari had planted them there because she thought her mother should have flowers all the time, not just the ones that she or her father brought for Fuu.

"Mimi came to visit too, see?" Jin watched as the little girl held out her rag doll in which she had been clutching too the entire time as well for her mother to see. "Notice anything new? I made her a new kimono! Papa says that for my eighth birthday next week, I can have a porcelain doll if I want. But I like Mimi better…Papa says he likes her better too, right Papa?"

She glanced back at Jin, who could only return the look lovingly at his daughter and nodded. "Hai." None of the other porcelain dolls could compare to the rag one that Fuu had made for Himawari. They never would. Himawari, pleased with the answer, turned her attention back to Fuu's grave and continued speaking.

She confided in Fuu how she had decided that she would become a samurai just like her father when she grew up, and that Jin promised that he would teach her when she turned at least eleven. She spoke of the other children and the dojo and how Jin-Jin's kittens just had more kittens…

All the while the two men could only watch her. Himawari did this every time they visited. And the familiar beginnings of longing spread throughout him with each breath that he took. It hurt him to look at his own daughter sometimes. She was stood for everything that he and Fuu had shared…the short happiness that he had found with her before it was taken away.

"There's nothing more that you could have done," Mugen leaned over and whispered to him while Himawari's voice drowned in the background.

"I couldn't do anything for her…" Jin said back, inhaling deeply. He mentally scowled when he felt the pirate punch him lightly on the arm in mock anger.

"Shut up, you did everything for her…" He went silent for a while. "You did everything I couldn't."

The samurai turned to look at the man beside him who refused to meet his eyes. He instead stared stubbornly ahead, seemingly focused on the little girl that was now doing hand gestures animatedly. "She was happy, wasn't she?" Mugen mumbled.

And Jin looked back at the grave marker and the sunflower that swayed gently in the breeze and saw his daughter giggling lightly, and he smiled a bittersweet smile. Yes…his Fuu had been happy. She was smiling till the end. And perhaps he would never stop mourning her death and the time that he lost with her, but he would be forever thankful that he got to keep her for as long as he did.

Himawari's voice faded and the samurai realized that the girl was finished with her conversation with her mother. She clutched tightly to her rag doll and returned to her father's side, small fingers grasping the fabric of his kimono.

"Uncle Mugen, Papa? Wanna say something to Momma?" she asked. Jin placed his hand on her head and smiled gently.

"Ah."

"Well, I got nothin' to say today…" Mugen said. "But I got a feeling your dad wants to speak to Fuu alone." The pirate smirked at Jin and took Himawari's hand in his. "I'll treat the squirt to lunch and meet you back at the dojo later, okay?"

Although Jin was a bit hesitant to let the man walk off with his daugher, the samurai relented and nodded. "Alright." He trusted Mugen. Himawari let out a happy squeal and bounded to Mugen's side.

"See you later, Papa!" She called back. Jin let his gaze linger on them for several moments before averting it back to the grave in front of him.

It was just the two of them…just as it always should have been. He crouched down in front of her, trembling fingers tracing over the characters of her name. His stoic mask fell, and he gazed at her with an expression that only Fuu would ever be allowed to see.

Instinctively, Jin's hand went to grasp the hilt of his sword…his fingers gradually touched the sleek feel of his sheath. No matter how worn out it would become, the samurai would never replace it.

He yearned for Fuu…that much would always be true. Sometimes, his need for her was so unbearable that he considered taking his sword from the very sheath that she had given him to place it against his chest…just so he could be with her again.

But then he'd be reminded of Himawari and how Fuu had never wanted her own children to go fatherless that he let go of his hilt. At night, when Jin lay awake he wondered if Fuu had planned it all along and gave him a daughter just so he had a purpose to go on living and not follow her in death. And he did love Himawari so…

He had told her a hundred times over, and would tell her a hundred times more how much he missed hearing her song and hearing her laughter. He would tell her he missed making love to her and the nights they spent just wishing on stars, and he'd tell her he'd never stop missing her.

And years from now, when he was old and gray and Himawari had grown and had her own family…he would still be there, telling her that he loved her. Just in case she had forgotten or by some chance didn't believe that he still did.

"_Fuu."_ Jin whispered, a bittersweet smile gracing his lips as he felt a warm breeze caressing his face…his hair. He swore he felt her with him. He knew she was watching. Listening.

So he'd whisper to her…sweet nothings only she could hear.

* * *

_Good-bye_

_I love you more than anyone else_

_Even more deeply than the sky_

_Don't cry_

_Let's meet again_

_But I am the only one who knows that we can't meet again_

_

* * *

_

**+Owari+**

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* * *

**

**A/N**

And…that's it…the end. Ah, it went by so fast, didn't it? I hope the last chapter wasn't too confusing. I sort of wanted the flashbacks and present time to mush together for a sort of nostalgic effect. I know half of you were hoping that I didn't kill her off, but I'm realistic…

Besides, I wanted the ending to be bittersweet without being overly tragic.

A few extra notes. In Chapter 3, the scene in which Fuu broke her shoe and Jin carried her on his back was something that actually happened to me between a friend and myself. No, it wasn't romantic, it was comedic more than anything and we were only walking to McDonalds…she broke her shoe and demanded that I carry her there because she didn't want her feet to get dirty.

In case anyone didn't catch it, Himawari is in fact the Japanese name for "Sunflower." I thought it would have been fitting that Fuu would want to name her daughter that. I also noticed that a good hefty number of you expected Fuu to die of childbirth. God, you guys are all so morbid! Haha.

This last ending quote is _"Into the Light" _by Maaya Sakamoto.

I want to thank EVERYONE for reading this fic and for the wonderful support and feedback that I have gotten. I hoped that you all enjoyed reading it as much as I have writing it, and I hope to write more for _Samurai Champloo_ in the future.

**PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!** For the last time…I really want to hear from **everyone who ever read this fic **and hear what they think about it. Yes, this includes **the lurkers **as well. I will try to respond to everyone who reviews.

Again, thank you all and it's been a pleasure. Look out for more Jin/Fuu fics in the future!

**Thanks and Ja Ne!**


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